Right Kind Of Wrong
by kimmiek2006
Summary: This story takes place during and after Season 8 Episode 13 when Brett opens up to Casey about her adoption and they find a victim's cat and even attend his wife's funeral because he has no one in Chicago. The story centers on what happens when Brett's biological mother tries to contact her after all these years and Casey is by her side. Feel free to leave reviews
1. Mr Larson and Dusty the Cat

**Hey everyone, so I'm working on this new fanfic and I hope you all like it. It takes place during and after Season 8 Episode 13 when Brett talks to Casey about her birth mother wanting to contact her as well as looking for the fire victim's cat and helping the victim during a hard time. I am also in the process of completing my other fanfic, If You Ask Me Too. I really hope you all enjoy this story. I'm not exactly sure how I'm going to go about this story, but it is based off the episode and I give full credit to the show, Chicago Fire. I do not own the characters or the story. I am simply rewriting and retelling the story in my own way. Please leave reviews and let me know what you all think :)**

CHAPTER 1

Casey and Brett were looking for a victim's cat that had escaped the fire that they had been called out too. The victim's wife had passed away from the injuries due to the fire but the victim, Mr. Larson, was going to be alright. Casey and Brett sat on the steps of the back porch waiting for Dusty, Mr. Larson's cat, to show up.

"Hey, can I ask you something?" Brett asked.

"Sure." Casey replied.

"I don't know if I ever told you that I was adopted." Brett said.

"I think I remember you telling me that." Casey said.

"Well, it's not a secret but I just don't like talking about it. Anyway, I had this man call me, a mediator if you will, and he told me that my biological mom wants to make contact with me." Brett said.

"I see." Casey replied.

"It's just that my parents have raised me from the time I was a baby. I never knew anyone else, but I had plenty of opportunities to find out who my biological mother is. I'm an adult, not some teenager who was lied too her whole life. I don't know. It just feels so...I don't know, just invasive, I guess. I just want to do this on my own terms, not when she wants too. She gave up her rights to me when she gave me up for adoption. What do you think" Brett explained.

"You have the biggest heart of anyone I know. If anyone can handle this, it's you. There hasn't been any kind of situation that I've seen that you haven't been able to handle. If this is something that you want to do, you need to do it when you are ready." Casey said.

"Yeah?" Brett asked.

"Yeah." Casey said.

They both chuckled for a minute and then heard a tiny meow coming from the yard. It was Dusty, Mr. Larson's cat.

"Dusty! Here kitty kitty." Brett softly called to the cat.

Dusty came running to Brett. Brett picked him up and she and Casey took Dusty to Chicago Med to see his owner. Brett and Casey had to sneak the cat into the hospital and into Mr. Larson's hospital room due to the rules.

"So, we could get into a lot of trouble for doing this, but this little guy wanted to see you." Brett said as she pulled Dusty from her coat and handed him to Mr. Larson.

Mr. Larson took the cat and began to pet it.

"Oh, Dusty! Isn't he beautiful? We've had him for ten years." Mr. Larson said as he was happy to see his cat.

"Is there anyone that we can call?" Casey asked.

"Uh, no. We decided to move to Chicago because that's where Gail grew up. Everyone we know lives in Montana." Mr. Larson said.

"Alright." Casey said.

"Oh, could you both do me a favor?" Mr. Larson asked.

"Sure." Brett replied.

"Could you watch Dusty until I get settled into the hotel room that the insurance is paying for until my house gets fixed?" Mr. Larson asked.

"Absolutely." Brett softly said.

She took Dusty from Mr. Larson.

"Don't worry. We'll take good care of him." Casey said.

"Thank you both so much." Mr. Larson smiled.

With that, Brett and Casey left the hospital with Dusty. The next morning during shift, Brett and Casey brought Dusty to the common room.

"Aww, who is this?" Stella asked as Casey and Brett walked into the common room.

"Dusty. It's Mr. Larson's cat. He's the guy that lost his wife in the fire we got called too." Brett said.

"He's so cute." Stella said as she petted the cat.

She left the room and Brett placed the cat on the couch next to Tuesday, Ritter's dog, who instantly took to the cat.

"What's this?" Herrmann asked as he stormed into the common room.

"It's Mr. Larson's cat, you know, the old man from the fire." Brett said.

"Why is the cat here, at 51? Never mind. Forget it. There's complete chaos in here!" Herrmann said as he threw his hands up in the air in frustration and then left the room.

"What's his problem?" Brett asked.

"Him and Mouch have been arguing all morning." Ritter chimed in.

"Oh." Brett replied.

"AMBULANCE 61. TRUCK 81. ENGINE 51. SQUAD 3. BATTALION CHIEF 25. PERSON DOWN FROM UNKNOWN CAUSES. 27 CANAL STREET." the dispatcher said over the intercom.

"Let's go!" Casey yelled to everyone.

Everyone left and headed to the scene. It was near the river and there was a human chain holding onto a little boy. Chief Boden ordered Squad 3 to get some rope and to get to the child first, followed by Truck 81 and Engine 51 used their rope to rescue each person on the human chain. They had to start with the little boy and work their way up. The boy somehow fell over the bank of the river and was barely holding on. One by one, 51 managed to get each person back up from the bank side of the river until everyone had been pulled to safety.

"What's your name?" Brett asked the little boy.

"Aaron." Aaron said.

"Well Aaron, you're safe now. We are gonna take care of you. Everything is gonna be ok." Brett smiled.

Aaron's mother came running and yelling for her son.

"I'm his mother. Thank you all for saving my son." Aaron's mother said.

"Don't thank us. It was these people who saved your." Casey said.

"Chicago helps each other. I'm glad we could help." one of the men that helped saved Aaron said.

Brett and Foster took the little boy and his mother to Med for a check up. After, they headed back to the firehouse where the others were already there.

"Hi Dusty." Brett said as she picked him up in the common room.

She held Dusty and carried him to Casey's office.

"Hey, so I heard from Med and the little boy is doing great. He actually went home." Brett said.

"That's great." Casey said as he noticed Brett holding Dusty.

"I could take this little guy home with me." Brett said as she gave the cat a little love.

"I don't think Mr. Larson would like that too much." Casey said.

"Hey, do you have any contact from your Alderman days?" Brett asked.

"Yeah. What did you have in mind?" Casey asked.

"Mr. Larson has no one and his wife's funeral is the day after tomorrow. I was thinking that maybe we could get some people from Chicago to come out and give him support, you know, like they did for that little boy." Brett said.

"That's actually a good idea. Uh, let me make some calls and see what I can do." Casey said.

"Thank you." Brett softly said before leaving his office.

Brett came back into the common room with Dusty.

"Hey guys, I have a favor to ask." Brett said.

"What's up?" Mouch asked.

"You know that victim from the fire that we got called out too, Mr. Larson?" Brett asked.

"Oh yeah. Didn't his wife pass away?" Cruz asked.

"Yeah, she did. He has no one and I don't want him to go through her funeral by himself. Do you think we could show up for him at his wife's funeral and show him some support?" Brett asked.

"You got it." Herrmann said.

"When is it?" Boden asked.

"The day after tomorrow." Brett said.

"Consider it done. I can't speak for all of us, but I'll be there." Boden said.

Everyone chimed in and agreed to go to the funeral. Several hours later, Casey was in his office working on the report from the last call they were on. Brett was in the bunk room with Dusty working on her report when Dusty got up and walked out of the bunk room.

"Dusty?" Brett asked as she got up and followed him to Casey's office.

"Looks like someone missed me." Casey joked.

"Looks that way." Brett replied.

"So, I was thinking about what you were telling me about your birth mother. If you do decide to meet her or need support, I'll be there for you. Just let me know." Casey said.

Brett smiled. She was touched by his suggestion.

"I'll let you know." Brett said.

"Ok. Good." Casey smiled.

"Do you want me to take Dusty?" Brett asked.

"Sure. I love this little guy, but I need to get this report done and check on the situation with Gorsh." Casey said.

"Why? What's going on?" Brett asked.

"Gorsh got us the new Truck 81 but it turns out that he wants to get us new bunker gear but for cheap. Severide has been looking into it with the help of Ritter and Boden." Casey explained.

"Did they find anything else out?" Brett asked.

"I'm not sure but Severide, Boden, and Ritter are at headquarters right now. I guess we'll see what happens." Casey said.

"Let me know what happens. I'm gonna take Dusty to the common room. He seems to like Tuesday." Brett smiled.

Brett left Casey's office and went to the common room. Brett placed Dusty on the couch next to Tuesday and then went and sat at the corner table. Stella and Foster came into the room.

"Hey Brett, have you seen Cruz?" Foster asked.

"I think he's in the bunk room." Brett said.

Foster left to go find Cruz while Stella and Brett chatted for a bit.

"Hey, thanks for letting me stay at your place when Foster had her party." Brett said.

"Oh, no problem. I'm still moving my things into Severide's, so it's not a problem." Stella said.

"still, I appreciate it." Brett said.

As they talked, the dispatcher called out over the intercom for Truck 81 to answer a call.

"See ya later!" Stella said as she ran out to the apparatus floor and got into Truck 81.

Brett was in the common room with Dusty and Tuesday when Ritter, Severide, and Boden returned.

"Hey Brett, where's Truck at?" Severide asked.

"They got called out on a call a few minutes ago. Why? What's up?" Brett asked.

Severide turned to Boden who gave him a nod.

"Well, Gorsh is fired." Severide said.

"Really? No offense, but I never liked the guy." Brett said.

They all chuckled.

"Neither did any of us. Hey, if you see Casey before I do, can you tell him to meet us in Chief Boden's office?" Severide asked Brett.

"Sure." Brett replied.

Boden and Severide left the common room but Ritter stayed.

"How's Tuesday?" Ritter asked as he walked over to his dog and started to pet her.

"She's an angel. She and Dusty have been getting along quiet well." Brett said.

"That's good." Ritter said before leaving the room to go help Herrmann with Engine 51.

Herrmann was drilling Engine 51 since they weren't out on a call. Brett picked up Dusty and took him to the bunk room with her. Mr. Larson called to let her know that he was discharged from the hospital and that she could bring Dusty to him after her shift was over. She agreed. The day after tomorrow was gonna be hard because Mr. Larson would be saying goodbye to his wife, the love of his life, and he had no one. Brett was determined to make sure that Mr. Larson did not have to go through that alone.


	2. The Letter

**Thank you all for the reviews. I hope you all like this story so far and will continue to read it. This chapter is based on the sneak peek clip from the upcoming Chicago Fire, Season 8 episode. I love writing fanfics and I'm loving the slow burn of Brett and Casey. Please leave any reviews and I hope you enjoy this chapter :)**

CHAPTER 2

Mr. Larson was in the process of going through his wife's funeral alone with just him and the pastor when Brett and Casey showed up.

"What are you doing here?" Mr. Larson asked, shocked to see Brett and Casey.

"Chicago stands with each other and we are here for you. All of us, that is." Brett said as she looked at the door where she and Casey had just came from.

Mr. Larson looked over and saw all of Firehouse 51 and other Chicago citizens coming in to support him.

"We're all here for you." Casey reassured.

Mr. Larson started to tear up. This meant so much to him. The service began and after the entire funeral service was over, Casey and Brett followed Mr. Larson home. Brett and Casey had brought Dusty to Mr. Larson after their shift ended and so when they arrived, Dusty greeted them.

"Looks like ol Dusty has taken up with you two." Mr. Larson chuckled.

"He's the sweetest little guy." Brett said as she held Dusty in her arms.

"I have a very important favor to ask of you both." Mr. Larson said.

"What is it?" Casey asked.

"If something ever happens to me, will you both look after Dusty for me?" Mr. Larson asked.

Brett and Casey looked at each other and then back at Mr. Larson.

"Absolutely." Casey said without hesitation.

"Do you need anything before we go?" Brett asked.

"Uh, no. I'm ok as long as I have Dusty." Mr. Larson said.

"If you need anything, just give us a call." Casey said.

With that, they left.

"Any plans for your day off?" Casey casually asked.

"Not really. I'll probably go out to Molly's tonight." Brett said.

"Same here. Well, I guess I'll see you later." Casey said.

They headed their separate ways. Brett had a few errands to run and Casey had to go finish a construction job that he had. It was about 5:00 p.m. and Brett was reorganizing her bedroom when she received a phone call. It was the adoption intermediary that has been trying to contact Brett. She ignored the call. She just didn't want to deal with it. She wasn't sure why, but her birth mother was trying to contact her. The intermediary left a voicemail for Brett to get back to him. She decided not to focus on that and just have fun tonight. After all, she is single and she deserves a night on the town before she lets her birth mother make contact with her.

"Hey Brett, you home?" Cruz called out.

Brett came out of her room.

"Hey, what's up?" Brett asked.

"Chloe wants to know if you could go dress shopping with her this weekend for the wedding." Cruz said.

"Oh, yeah, I'll go. Just have her text me the details." Brett smiled.

"Great. See ya later." Cruz said as he left the apartment.

Brett chuckled and walked back into her room. She changed clothes and did her hair. She put a little makeup on and after getting ready, she headed out to Molly's where everyone from Firehouse 51 was hanging out.

"Hey Brett, over here!" Foster called out.

"Hey, where's Stella?" Brett asked.

"She's running late. Oh, this is Lisa. Lisa, this is Sylvie Brett, my partner on Ambo." Foster said.

"Hi. Nice to meet you." Lisa said.

"Nice to meet you too." Brett smiled.

Brett looked around the bar and caught Casey sitting at the bar talking to Severide and Herrmann.

"I'm gonna go get a drink from the bar. Do you guys want anything?" Brett asked.

"I'm good." Lisa said.

"Same." Foster replied.

Brett smiled and headed to the bar.

"Hey, Brett." Herrmann said as Brett arrived at the bar to order a drink.

Matt smiled to himself.

"Hey Herrmann. Can I get my usual?" Brett asked.

"You got it." Herrmann said as he walked over to the cooler and pulled out a cold beer bottle for Brett.

"Thanks." Brett smiled as Herrmann handed the bottle to her.

"Hey Brett, how's everything going?" Casey casually asked.

She hesitated for a minute before answering.

"Remember what I told you when we were looking for Dusty?" Brett asked.

"Yeah." Casey replied.

"It happened again. The intermediary or whatever you wanna call him, contacted me again today." Brett said.

"Really? What did he say?" Casey asked.

"I don't know. He left a voicemail for me. I couldn't answer the phone." Brett said.

"Wanna talk about it?" Casey asked.

"Yeah, but let me go tell Foster I'll be over at her table after." Brett said.

"Meet me outside." Casey said.

Casey got up and headed outside while Brett walked over to Foster and Lisa.

"Hey, I'll be back." Brett said.

"Everything ok?" Foster asked.

"Yeah. Casey needs to talk to me about Mr. Larson. He called." Brett lied.

"Alright." Foster said.

Brett placed her beer on the table and then headed outside to talk to Casey.

"If Foster asks about Mr. Larson, just go along with it." Brett laughed.

"Ok." Casey chuckled.

"So, I have this voicemail from the adoption mediator/intermediary, whatever you wanna call this guy. I haven't brought myself to listen to it, and honestly,  
I don't think I want too. Does that make me a bad person?" Brett questioned.

"Of course, not. It makes you human." Casey said.

"I'm not ready to hear the message." Brett said.

"So, what are you going to do?" Casey asked.

"I don't know. There's so many questions I have. Right now, I don't know what to do." Brett said.

"So, if you don't answer when the adoption intermediary contacts you, what happens?" Casey questioned.

"I'm not sure. Worse case scenario, my birth mother comes to find me on her own." Brett said.

"If you need anything, you know I'm here for you." Casey said with a smile.

"I know. Thank you." Brett replied.

They gave each other a hug and then pulled away. They chuckled and headed back inside.

"Hey, is Stella still not here?" Brett asked.

"She called and said that she couldn't make it." Foster said.

"Oh." Brett replied.

Foster gave Brett a look that Brett knew all too well. Brett took the hint and smiled.

"Thank you." Foster mouthed.

"You're welcome." Brett mouthed back.

Brett walked over to the bar and sat down in one of the empty chairs at the bar. Casey noticed but didn't say anything as Brett was looking at her phone. Another phone call came in on her phone and Casey could tell by the expression on her face, that it was the adoption intermediary trying to reach her. He got up and walked over to her.

"Hey, did you get another call?" Casey asked.

"Yeah." Brett sighed.

"Maybe you should answer it next time." Casey suggested.

"Maybe...or maybe I change my number and block the number." Brett contemplated.

"Now that is a possibility." Casey said.

They chatted for a bit before Brett left to go home. The next day while at work, Brett was cleaning the ambulance when a man showed up.

"Can I help you?" Brett asked the man.

"I'm looking for Sylvie Brett." the man said.

"I'm Sylvie Brett." Brett replied.

"I'm the intermediary from the adoption agency. When you didn't respond to our phone calls, we assumed that we had the wrong number." the intermediary said.

"Oh. I'm sorry. We get calls all the time, sometimes five or six times a day and it makes it hard to answer the phone." Brett said.

"That's ok. Your birth mom is still seeking contact and wanted me to give you this. It's up to you as to what you do with this." the intermediary said as he handed Brett a letter and then left.

Brett stood there for a minute, taking in what had just happened. She was holding a letter with her name on it. She contemplated on whether or not she should open it and read it. She decided to put it off until later. She folded it up and stuck it in her pocket and went inside. She started to walk into the common room but she didn't see Casey. Casey was really the only one who knew what was currently going on with her birth mother and she really needed her friend now. After checking to see if Casey was in his office, she headed to the bunk room and sat on the bed. Casey was in Boden's office discussing one of the calls that they had been called out on earlier. He came out of Boden's office and saw Brett in the bunk room. He walked over to her and startled her.

"Woah, I didn't mean to scare ya." Casey joked.

"Oh, it's ok." Brett said.

Casey could tell something was going on.

"I know that look. What's wrong?" Casey asked.

Brett was surprised to know that Casey noticed when something was wrong with her.

"I got this from the intermediary today. He actually came by 51 when I was cleaning Ambo. He said my birth mother wanted me to have this." Brett said as she handed the letter to Casey.

"Do you want me to open it and read it?" Casey asked.

Brett contemplated for a few minutes.

"I don't know. I'm honestly scared." Brett said.

"What are you scared of?" Casey asked.

"I don't know. I'm scared that it might be a letter saying that my birth mother needs some sort of liver or kidney transplant and for me to get tested. I'm scared that it might tell me that she's dying. I'm scared that it will turn out that she wants to get to know me and I'm just not ready for that." Brett said as she paced the room.

Casey looked at her and slightly chuckled.

"Come here." Casey chuckled.

Brett walked over to Casey and looked at him. She knew what he was going to say but didn't say anything. Casey gave her a hug.

"I'm not going anywhere. If your mom does want to make contact with you by meeting you, I will go with you. Alright?" Casey said.

Brett looked at him.

"Really?" Brett questioned.

"Yes, really. I won't let you meet her by yourself. I'll be there for you the whole time and if at any time you feel uncomfortable, we can leave, but you don't really know for sure if she wants a meeting or not unless you read what's in this envelope." Casey said.

Brett hated when Casey was right. She hadn't even opened the envelope to see what was inside. She was freaking out over nothing but what if she was freaking out because she was right? It was something that she just wasn't ready for. She feels as if her birth mother has invaded her personal space without Brett's permission. At this point, Brett had a lot to think about and wasn't sure what to do. The only thing she knew was that Casey knew what was going on and that she had a friend to confide in.


	3. After The Letter

**Hey everyone, thank you all for the reviews! I'm sorry it's taken so long to post this chapter. I've been out of town for a few days and unable to update my fanfics. Please continue to leave reviews and I hope you all enjoy this chapter :) **

CHAPTER 3

After shift had ended, Brett went to Severide's apartment where Casey lived. She kept changing her mind all day about reading the letter. She knocked on the door and Casey answered it.

"Please tell me that you still have the letter?" Brett pleaded.

Casey gave her a look.

"You watched me throw it away." Casey replied.

"You mean to tell me that you didn't go get it out of the trash when I wasn't looking?" Brett asked.

Casey smiled and walked over to his bag and pulled out the letter. He handed Brett the letter and she was nervous.

"Take your time." Casey replied.

"That's easier said than done. You're not the one who decided to read the letter, only to change your mind at the very last minute and then debate on it all day long." Brett chuckled.

"True, but I knew you would eventually want to read this." Casey said.

Brett took a deep breath and looked at the letter. Casey was walking away when she called out.

"Will you stay with me while I open this?" Brett asked.

He smiled and turned to her.

"Absolutely." Casey said as he walked over to her.

Brett finally managed to open the letter that she had been dreading all day but found that it wasn't a letter at all. Casey studied Brett's face for a minute.

"What is it?" Casey asked.

"It's just a name and an address. It also says that my mom's name is Julie and she lives in Rockford, Illinois." Brett read as she showed Casey the paper.

Casey read the paper but noticed that Brett seemed to be a bit on edge. Brett took a deep breath and released it.

"So, what do you want to do?" Casey asked.

"I don't know. It stills feels a bit intrusive of her to want to seek contact with with me after all this time. I mean, she's had over twenty years to come find me. My parents will always be my parents but I feel like this woman is invading my personal space and I don't know what to do." Brett sighed.

Casey wrapped his arms around Brett. She leaned into his chest and tears started to fall down her face. She wrapped her arms around him and they stood there for a few minutes before pulling away.

"Uh, I'm sorry. I guess I should let you get back to whatever or wherever you were going. I'll see you next shift." Brett said as she started to leave.

Casey grabbed her hand.

"You don't have to go." Casey whispered.

"Casey, I don't know what to do." Brett said.

"Then you and I will figure it out together. I'm glad you can trust me enough with something like this." Casey said.

"Of course I trust you. Why wouldn't I?" Brett asked.

"I guess it's because you helped me get over everything that happened with Gabby and honestly, I went through a bit of a wild phase after she left." Casey said.

"I remember." Brett chuckled.

"What I'm saying is that I wanna be here for you just like you were there for me, that is, if you will let me." Casey said.

"Of course." Brett smiled.

"I was gonna head out to Molly's but I can stay here instead." Casey said.

"It's your place. I'll just go home..." Brett said before Casey interupted her.

"You're staying." Casey insisted.

"Ok." Brett chuckled.

They both then let out a small laugh and then sat on the couch.

"I'm scared." Brett admitted.

"There's nothing to be scared of." Casey said.

"Then why do I feel like someone is watching me? Ever since I found out my birth mom wanted to find me, I've felt like someone has been watching me. I know that sounds crazy, but I guess it could just be this unsettling feeling I've had ever since I found out she's wanting to make contact with me." Brett said.

"I told you that you don't have to go through this alone." Casey reaffirmed.

"I know. I don't know if it's all this stress of not knowing and then finding out that it was just a name and an address or if it's the fact that I am not sure if I wanna meet her or not." Brett explained.

Casey looked at her and gave her a half smile.

"If you want to meet her, I'll go with you but that's a decision that you're going to have to make. I'll stand by you no matter what." Casey said.

"There's just one problem with all of that." Brett said.

"Which is what, exactly?" Casey asked.

"I haven't found a way to tell my parents. I mean, it's not something you tell them over the phone but I can't go to Fowlerton and tell them in person." Brett said.

"You need to tell them." Casey said.

"I know and I will. I promise, but I just need a bit to take in everything that's happened and then go from there." Brett said.

Casey took his hand and wiped Brett's tears from her face.

"Just take a deep breath and take it day by day." Casey said.

Brett laughed.

"Matthew Casey, you are such a great friend." Brett said as she gave Casey a hug.

Casey happily returned her hug and then looked at her.

"I hate to see you cry." Casey whispered.

Brett looked at Casey and smiled.

"I hate crying but it's one of my weaknesses." Brett giggled.

"I don't think it's a weakness you have. I think you're human just like all of us." Casey said.

"I better get going. I don't have the strength to stay up much longer." Brett said.

"You could always stay here. I could sleep on the couch." Casey suggested.

"Thanks for the offer but I think I just need some time to myself to process everything." Brett said.

"Alright. You know I'm here whenever you need me." Casey said.

"I know." Brett said and stood up.

Casey stood up as well and followed Brett over to the door.

"Thank you for everything. I owe you." Brett chuckled and gave Casey a hug.

Casey gave a slight chuckle and returned her hug.

"You don't owe me anything. I'm just glad I can I help." Casey replied.

They stood in an awkward silence for a few seconds.

"What are you doing tomorrow off shift?" Casey asked.

"I don't know. I was thinking about going to see Mr. Larson and Dusty but other than that, I have no plans." Brett answered.

"Mind if I tag along when you go see Mr. Larson and Dusty?" Casey asked.

"I don't mind at all. I think he would like that." Brett smiled.

"Text me when you get ready to leave and I'll meet you at your place. We can go together to see him." Casey suggested.

"Sounds like a plan." Brett smiled.

They smiled at each other and gave each other another hug. They said their goodbyes and Brett left. When she arrived home, she headed straight for her bedroom since no one else was home. She took out the piece of paper with her birth mother's name and address on it. She read the name and address several times before putting it inside her nightstand where she kept some of her books she sometimes reads before bed. She changed into her pajamas and went to bed. Back at Severide's apartment, Casey was restless. He was worried about Brett. He wondered about how she was taking the news that her birth mother left her a name with an address. As he tried to sleep, his mind continued to wondered. He thought about how close he and Brett were standing in the living room of Severide's apartment and when he wiped her tears away, he wanted to kiss her in that moment.

"Go to sleep, Casey." he told himself.

Restlessness crept in on Casey. No matter how hard he tried, he just couldn't sleep. He glanced at his phone, hoping that he might have received a text from Brett. His face lit up at the message he had received.

"THANKS FOR BEING THERE FOR ME. CAN'T WAIT UNTIL TOMORROW. LOVE, BRETT." the text read.

He read the text message several different times before replying.

"CAN'T WAIT TOO SEE YOU TOMORROW. LOVE, CASEY." the text said.

Brett was restless and as soon as she heard her phone buzz, she glanced at it and smiled. She read the text and immediately replied.

"HAVING TROUBLE SLEEPING. - BRETT." the text said.

Casey read the text and immediately replied.

"ME TOO. - CASEY." the text said.

They continued their little chat for an hour before they both finally fell asleep. Brett was getting ready the next morning when she decided to text Casey.

"GETTING READY NOW. MEET ME AT 10? - BRETT." the text said.

As Casey was getting out of the shower, he heard his phone go off. He instantly checked his phone, smiled at the text message, and replied.

"BE THERE AT 10. - CASEY." he texted back.

Brett read the text and smiled. She finished getting ready and grabbed a protein bar from the cabinet and ate it. She poured herself a half of glass of orange juice and after she was finished, she threw the paper from the protein bar away and put the glass in the sink. She didn't want to eat much since she had promised Mr. Larson that she would have breakfast with him. She and Mr. Larson were becoming good friends as was Casey and Mr. Larson. Casey was getting ready to head out when Severide stopped him.

"Hey man, don't forget that we have that house to finish today." Severide said.

"I won't. I have something to do before we go finish the house." Casey said.

"Alright. Catch you later." Severide said as Casey headed out the door.

Casey got into his truck and headed to Brett's apartment. Once he got there, he headed upstairs and knocked on her door. She answered the door and smiled at seeing Casey.

"Hey, come in. I'm almost ready." Brett said.

Casey stepped inside and waited on Brett to finish getting ready. Brett applied very little eyeliner and eyeshadow, enough to brighten her eyes and quickly sprayed some Victoria's Secret Love Spell body spray and headed out of her bedroom.

"Ready?" Brett asked.

"Absolutely." Casey said.

Brett grabbed a bag from the counter and then her keys and purse and after locking the door behind her, they headed out to Mr. Larson's house. Casey couldn't help but notice the bag that Brett had in her hand as they got into his truck.

"Did you get Dusty some cat food?" Casey chuckled.

"Of course." Brett joked.

Casey shook his head with a slight laugh.

"It's a good thing that Dusty and Mr. Larson can rely on you for those cat treats." Casey chuckled.

"Well, I love that cat." Brett smiled.

They chatted on the way to Mr. Larson's house but Brett still had the events from the night before playing in her mind. Casey pulled up to Mr. Larson's house that he was staying in while his house gets fixed from the fire. Casey could see that something was bothering Brett and he knew exactly what it was. After putting the truck in park, Casey turned to Brett before they got out of the truck.

"Hey, I have to help Severide with a house later if you wanna help. We need to paint a few rooms and then it will be finished. Kidd said she was gonna help and we could use the help." Casey said.

"Yeah, sounds good. Would you mind taking me back to the apartment after we are done here so I can put on some old clothes?" Brett asked.

"Absolutely." Casey smiled.

They got out of the truck and walked up to Mr. Larson's door and rang the doorbell. He answered the door with a kind greeting.

"If it isn't my two favorite people. Please, come on in." Mr. Larson smiled.

Mr. Larson let Brett and Casey into his house and Dusty happily greeted them with a purr. They came inside the house and sat down on the couch in the living room, while Mr. Larson sat down in his reclining chair. Dusty instantly jumped up onto Brett's lap and sat there, purring and content.


	4. House Painting

**Hey everyone, here is the next chapter. I hope you all enjoy it. I will be going out of town this weekend but will update this story once I get back. Thank you all for the reviews and please continue to leave reviews :) **

CHAPTER 4

"Dusty has taken to you." Mr. Larson noted.

"I know. He's such a sweet cat." Brett smiled.

"He is. He's all I've got left." Mr. Larson sweetly said.

"You know, Sylvie here has some treats for Dusty." Casey said.

Mr. Larson looked at Brett and smiled.

"You always bring my Dusty some treats." Mr. Larson smiled.

"Yes, she does." Casey smiled.

"So, what do you two have planned for today?" Mr. Larson casually asked.

"Well, two of the firefighters are gonna help me finish remodeling a house for a client and Sylvie is supposed to help paint one of the rooms." Casey said.

"That's so sweet of her to do that." Mr. Larson said.

"You know, Mr. Larson, I would be more than happy to fix up your house once the insurance comes through for you, if you would like." Casey suggested.

Mr. Larson was touched by that gesture.

"You would do that for me?" Mr. Larson asked.

"No charge at all. I'll take care of everything and I'll make sure that all the wiring and everything is up to code." Casey said.

"Bless your heart, boy. I...I...I don't know what to say except, thank you." Mr. Larson said with a smile.

"No need to thank me. Just remember that Chicago shows up for each other whenever they need us and this is the least I could do for you." Casey said.

"I really appreciate that." Mr. Larson said with a huge grin.

"I'll help Matt out in any way I can. I'll also see too it that Dusty has enough cat food, treats, toys, and anything else you might need for him and whatever you might need as well. Consider it our way of paying it forward." Brett smiled.

Mr. Larson was touched by the generosity that Casey and Brett have shown him that nothing he could do would ever compare to their generous offer. His eyes filled with tears of happiness.

"Thank you both so much. You have already done so much for me and for Dusty." Mr. Larson said with tears.

They all chatted for a few hours before Casey and Brett had to leave. Mr. Larson was forever grateful and thankful for the friendship he made in both Brett and Casey. After saying their goodbyes, Casey and Brett headed out to Casey's truck.

"Hey, are you alright?" Casey asked.

"Oh, yeah." Brett lied.

"Liar." Casey said.

Brett gave him a look. When did Casey become so good at spotting her lying to him? When the heck did Casey start paying attention to the small details about her? Either way, she was glad.

"Ok, fine." Brett moaned.

"You're thinking about yesterday, aren't you?" Casey asked.

"Yeah. How did you know that?" Brett asked.

"Because I know you and I know that you said you had a lot too think about." Casey said.

"You know me better than I know myself." Brett admitted.

Casey had just pulled into the parking lot of Brett's apartment when she said that. He parked the truck and turned to look at her.

"You know me better than anyone else as well." Casey flashed a smile.

They got out of the truck and walked up to her apartment. They walked inside her apartment and Brett headed to her bedroom to change into some old clothes before heading back out with Casey to the house.

"Ready?" Brett asked.

"Yeah." Casey replied.

They headed out of the apartment and to the house where Casey was meeting Severide and Kidd.

"Hey, I brought backup!" Casey joked as he and Brett got out of the truck.

"How did you talk her into this? I've tried and she wouldn't budge." Stella joked.

"Well, it was Mr. Larson who talked her into that." Casey lied.

"Mr. Larson? The old man that has the cat?" Stella asked.

"Yeah. Casey was telling him about this house and Mr. Larson said that I should help. I couldn't give him an excuse, so here I am." Brett lied.

"Well, I'm glad you're here. I didn't like being out numbered by these two." Stella joked.

"Well, I'm here, so things are even." Brett giggled.

"Alright, you two. Kidd, can you and Brett go to the back room and get started painting on it?" Casey asked.

"Sure. Where's the paint?" Stella asked.

"I have everything in the room." Casey said.

Stella and Brett left and headed into the back room where they began painting the room.

"Do you wanna start on that wall and I'll start on this wall or what do you wanna do?" Brett asked.

"That sounds like a plan." Stella said.

They started painting the room while the guys were in the room beside of them painting.

"So, you and Brett seem to be hanging out a lot." Severide acknowledged.

"It's nothing." Casey shrugged it off.

"You sure about that? You guys seem to be getting close lately." Severide smirked.

"She's going through something that I can't say. That's something that she has to tell you on her own terms, but that's her business. She just felt the need to open up to me." Casey said.

"Is everything ok?" Severide asked.

"I don't know. She hasn't said much but I know something is bothering her." Casey said.

"She knows she has a family at 51, doesn't she?" Severide asked.

"Yeah, she does. I think she's just gotta deal with whatever it is she's going through in her own way." Casey said.

Back in the other room, Brett and Stella were talking.

"So, you and Casey seem to be a bit chummy lately." Stella causally said.

"It's not like that. I got some news and he just happened to be there when I got it." Brett said.

"What's going on?" Stella asked.

"I don't wanna talk about it. It's not something I'm ready to tell everyone. Casey just happened to be there when I got the news, so that's how he knows." Brett tried to change the subject.

Stella knew not to push Brett. She knew that Brett was going through something but knew that if she had pushed Brett for information, Brett would snap. Brett rarely snaps at people but Stella didn't want to risk an argument with her friend.

"So, what's going on with you and Severide?" Brett asked, changing the subject.

"Well, you know he asked me to move in with him but I think he's got a lot on his mind." Stella said.

"I know Cruz has been upset that Severide hasn't helped him with the wedding." Brett said.

"I don't know what's going on. Cruz is stressing about the wedding and Kelly hasn't really cared about it. I guess that's men for you." Stella joked.

As they finished painting their side of the walls, they started on the other two walls. Within two hours, they had finished painting the room. They met the men in the kitchen.

"That's it. All we have to do now is wait until the walls dry in order to put the furniture back and that's all that's left." Casey said.

"See you guys tomorrow." Severide said as he and Stella walked out of the house.

"See ya." Casey replied.

Casey was gathering the rest of his tools when Brett's phone rang. It was the adoption intermediary.

"Hello?" Brett asked as she answered the phone.

"Yes, is this Sylvie Brett?" the adoption intermediary asked.

"Yes." Brett replied.

"I'm the adoption intermediary. We spoke the other day. I'm just following up on the information I gave you." the intermediary said.

"I have yet to open the envelope that you gave me. I'm sorry." Brett said.

"That's alright, Ms. Brett. I understand. Do you plan on making contact?" the intermediary asked.

"As of this moment, no, I don't plan on it." Brett said.

"Thank you, Ms. Brett. Have a good day." the intermediary said as he hung up the phone.

"That was weird." Brett said.

"What?" Casey asked.

"So, the adoption intermediary called and asked if I had planned on making contact with my birth mother. I haven't decided on that yet and told them that I had no plans in making contact with her." Brett said.

"How do you feel about that?" Casey asked.

"If it means that the adoption intermediary stops calling me and trying to get me to make contact with my birth mother, then I'm ok with that." Brett said.

"Good, now what do you say we get out of here and grab a bite to eat? I don't know about you but I'm starving." Casey chuckled.

"Me too." Brett smiled.

After packing up the rest of his tools, he and Brett headed out of the house and to her apartment.

"What do you want and I'll place the order." Casey said.

"Sesame chicken, rice, broccoli, and fortune cookies." Brett giggled.

"You got it." Casey smiled.

Casey placed an order for him and Brett over the phone and then hung up after he was done.

"They said they will be here in about twenty minutes." Casey said.

"Sounds good. I'll be back." Brett said.

Brett went into her bedroom to change clothes. She put on a pair of gray sweat pants and a blue tank top. It was 6:00 p.m. and Brett had no intention of going anywhere else. She walked back out into the living room where Casey was sitting on the couch.

"Sorry about that." Brett said as she walked back into the room.

Casey noticed she wasn't wearing the same clothes that she had when they came home.

"No need to apologize." Casey said.

"So, I was thinking. If I do decide to meet my birth mother, I want you to go with me but for now, I'm not doing anything." Brett said.

"Whatever you need, I'll be there." Casey said.

There was a knock on the door. It was the delivery man with the food.

"I'll get it." Casey said as he got up and answered the door.

Casey paid for the food and then brought it over to the living room.

"Food is here." Casey said as he placed the food on the coffee table.

"Good. I'm starving." Brett giggled.

Casey chuckled and got the food out of the bag.

"It smells so freaking good." Brett smiled.

"I know." Casey returned the smile.

After Casey got all of the food out of the bag, he and Brett began eating the food.

"I forgot how much I love sesame chicken." Brett said with a mouth full of food.

"When was the last time you had Chinese food?" Casey asked.

"It's been a few months." Brett said.

"Wow." Casey giggled.

It felt a bit awkward between the two of them for a few minutes. Casey has never really been to Brett's apartment and hung out with her. They usually just hang out at work or at Molly's. This was definitely a first for the both of them but it was a nice change. This was truly the first time that they had hung out together outside of work and without the other members of 51. Brett felt at ease with Casey and Casey felt the same way about Brett. As they ate their dinner, Brett turned the TV on and put it on a movie channel that was showing a marathon of Harry Potter movies. Casey felt at home with Brett, something he hadn't felt with anyone else since Gabby. They talked about movies and other things, just enjoying each other's company.


	5. Return of an old friend

**Hey everyone, here is the next chapter of Right Kind Of Wrong. I would like to give credit to NBC's Chicago Fire as I did borrow some of their dialogue for this chapter as this chapter takes place during the crossover episode that aired on February 26, 2020. I do not own the characters but please bare in mind, this chapter does take place during the crossover episode and I will continue to update this story as much as I can. I am also currently working on another fanfic that I am almost finished with. I hope you enjoy this chapter :)**

CHAPTER 5

The next day at work, Brett and Foster got called out on several calls involving overdoses, hitting Brett hard. Brett and Foster pulled into the garage bay or apparatus floor and got out of the ambulance. Foster started going off about Mercury being in retrograde or something like that and how she was gonna go get some rest before another call comes in. Casey walked over to Brett.

"You've been running around all day, but I wanted to ask. Did you reach out to your birth mom?" Casey asked his friend.

"I picked up the phone a few times. I just think it's better if we speak in person." Brett said.

"You have her address, right? Rockford isn't that far away." Casey asked.

"I'm going back and forth on how to handle it. First impressions are so important and I just want to get it right." Brett said.

"The right way is whatever works for you." Casey said.

Someone called out that dinner was ready and Brett couldn't be more excited about dinner. She and Foster had been eating out of Chicago Med's vending machines all day due to all the nonstop calls they had been on. It was taking a toll on her. Just as she and Casey were about to head inside to eat, the alarm sounded.

"AMBULANCE 61. PERSON INJURED. 489 WEST LUTHER STREET." the dispatcher said.

As they walked over to the ambulance, Casey called out.

"We'll put some aside for you guys." Casey said, referring to dinner.

"Thanks." Brett replied and she and Foster headed to the scene of the call.

As they arrived on the scene, they saw a person overdosing. As they tried to help, they began to realize that it was multiple overdoses and that something wasn't right. There was a body blocking a door and it turned out that the woman on the other side of the door was possible overdosing as well. Brett called for additional ambulances and a rescue squad, which happened to be Squad 3 that answered the call. Brett filled Severide in and he began working on the door. Once the door was opened, Brett and Foster went in and began working on the patient. It was a bad situation. Afterwards, Brett and Foster headed to Chicago Med with the victim and found out that one of their patients didn't make it. They arrived back to 51, hoping to grab a bite to eat.

"Hey you two, your food's in the fridge." Mouch said as Brett and Foster came walking into the common room.

"We had to keep it from Capp, so we wrote 'Tuesday' on the tinfoil." Cruz said.

"Ritter just asked me to feed her. I'm sorry." Stella said, feeling a bit guilty over feeding the dog.

"I don't have much of an appetite." Brett said as she headed towards the locker room.

Casey saw her walk towards the locker room and was concerned. He had heard about the call they were on.

"You ok?" Casey asked, concerned.

"They were just kids. How could they be so stupid? I mean, why do these kids do something so dumb." Brett asked.

Casey walked over to her and looked at her.

"Hey, you saved two lives tonight. That should count for something." Casey said.

"Ok." Brett said.

"Listen, if you don't wanna get into it about your birth mom, I understand but if you're thinking about meeting her in person, I'd be happy to drive you to Rockford to meet her. Only if you would like." Casey suggested.

"I'd like that, very much." Brett said with a half smile.

Casey left the room and Brett couldn't help but let out a smile. There was something about Casey that made her smile and feel good about herself. While she and Foster were talking and restocking Ambulance 61, Brett was greeted by an old friend.

"Sylvie." a man's voice called out.

"Sean? Hey, what are you doing here?" Brett said as she greeted her friend and former lover.

She and Sean had slept together but remained friends. It had been four years since they had seen each other.

"I'm Emily Foster." Foster said as she introduced herself.

"Sean Roman." Sean said.

Brett could tell something was wrong. Sean explained why he was there. Brett and Foster took him to Boden's office where Severide and Casey were.

"Chief, we have someone who needs to talk to you." Brett said.

Boden could tell that this was important.

"Come on in." Boden said.

Brett came in, followed by Sean Roman and Foster. Everyone was surprised to see Sean but after Sean told them about his sister, they decided to help in any way they could. The only thing that Sean didn't say was that he never told Voight or anyone in the Intelligence Unit. After their shift ended, Casey took Brett to Rockford to meet her birth mom. She was extremely nervous and anxious.

"My whole life is about to change." Brett said.

"Doesn't have too change. That's up to you." Casey said.

"That's true. When I was six years old, I was obsessed with Disney princesses and so I was convinced that my real parents were British royals and that Queen Elizabeth was my grandma." Brett admitted.

Casey couldn't help but chuckle.

"Really?" Casey asked.

Brett laughed.

"I knew it wasn't true but I liked to pretend because in that moment, I had control. As a kid, playing make believe gives you the control to be anything you want and at that time, I wanted to be royal like Belle and Ariel. As I got older, I never cared about finding my birth parents because one, I loved my parents and two, I was always scared of how the reality of it all couldn't live up to the fantasy I had inside my mind." Brett chuckled.

They both chuckled a bit and shortly later, they arrived at her birth mother's house. Brett was nervous.

"Go on." Casey encouraged her.

"I am." Brett waited for a minute.

Casey looked at her.

"Ok, I'm going. I can do this." Brett told Casey.

"You can do this." Casey reassured her.

Brett walked up to the door and rang the doorbell. A man answered the door.

"Hello." the man greeted Brett.

"Uh, hi. My name is Sylvie Brett. I'm looking for Julie." Brett said nervously.

"Julie?" the man said confused.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I should have called first." Brett said.

"Uh, there's nobody here by that name. You must have the wrong address." the man said in a hurry.

Brett showed him the paper that she had.

"Is this the same address though?" Brett asked.

"I'm really sorry." the man said and quickly shut the door in Brett's face.

Brett was visibly upset and confused. Casey could tell by the look on Brett's face as she walked to his truck, that something was wrong. His heart broke for her. She opened the door and got inside the truck.

"What happened?" Casey asked.

"She doesn't live here." Brett said.

"Isn't this the address she gave you?" Casey asked.

"Yeah but it doesn't matter. This was a mistake. Can we just go?" Brett asked.

Casey turned the truck on and began driving them back to Chicago. It was a quiet ride back and Casey was concerned with Brett. Brett was always this cheerful,  
loving person who was always there for others and now, she was this quiet, hurt woman who wanted to be left alone. Casey dropped her off at her apartment.

"Hey, call me day or night if you need anything." Casey said.

Brett nodded.

"I will." she said.

Casey stayed until he saw that Brett made it inside her apartment building before leaving. When she got inside her apartment, Foster greeted her. Brett told Foster what had happened and Foster's heart broke for Brett.

"I'm sorry, Sylvie." Foster said sympathetically.

"Can you just put on the cheesiest movie on Netflix? I wanna laugh." Brett said.

"You got it." Foster said as she scrolled through the movies on Netflix.

Brett fell asleep shortly after and Foster got up and made a call.

"Hey, I just wanted to call you and let you know how Brett is doing." Foster said over the phone.

"How is she?" Casey asked.

"She cried herself to sleep. This has really hit her hard and I'm not sure how to bring her back to herself." Foster said.

"She needs time to process everything. I'll keep an eye on her at work as much as I can." Casey said.

"Thanks. See you at work." Foster said before hanging up the phone.

The next morning at work, Brett and Foster were doing inventory after being out on several calls and making sure that they weren't missing anything. A woman came through the apparatus bay door and catches Capp, who is on his way to reload Squad 3's truck with oxygen.

"Excuse me, I'm looking for Sylvie Brett." the woman asked.

Capp smiles and continued to walk by her.

"Brett!" Capp yelled and went on his way to do what he was doing.

Brett comes out out and sees a woman waiting for her. She even kind of resembles her. Brett walks towards the woman with a half smile.

"I've seen pictures of you online and to see what you do, that's very brave." Julie said.

"I came by." Brett said.

"I know. My husband just found out about you and wasn't sure how to handle it." Julie said.

"You're so young." Brett said.

"I was only sixteen when I gave birth to you. I was too young too take care of you but I don't want to pile this on you, but it's getting hard to hide." Julie said as she revealed her baby bump.

Brett was taken aback.

"I would like very much to have you in my life however you see fit..." Julie said as the alarm sounded.

The dispatcher gave the orders of where to go and it meant that it was an all hands on deck call.

"I've...I've gotta go. I'm sorry." Brett said as she left Julie standing there alone.

Brett, Foster, and the others headed out to the scene of the call. It was horrible. There was an active shooter on the scene and Casey was concerned for Brett. Brett took notice of Casey's look before he headed into the scene. They found a teenage boy, Travis, that had been at one of the previous scenes where people had been overdosing. This wasn't good. After bringing Travis out to Brett and Foster, they worked on him and took him to Med. It was an exhausting shift and all Brett wanted to do was rest. Everyone arrived back at the firehouse and Casey noticed a note on the bay door.

"Hey Brett, this is for you." Casey said as he handed Brett the piece of paper.

Brett took it and read it.

"It's from Julie. She left her cell phone number." Brett said.

"Hey, I'm always here for you. You know that, right?" Casey asked.

"Yeah and I'm so thankful for that." Brett smiled.

Casey gave Brett a hug and she could smell his cologne. Oh how he smelled so good. He couldn't help but notice the scent of her perfume and how intoxicating it is.

"I'm gonna go get some sleep. All of these calls have drained me." Brett said.

Casey smiled and Brett walked off to the bunk room to get some rest. A few hours later, she received a call from Sean Roman.

"Hey Sylvie." Sean said.

Brett could tell by the sound of his voice that something was wrong.

"Hey Sean, what's wrong?" Brett asked with concern.

"We found my sister." Sean said.

"That's good news, isn't it?" Brett asked.

There was a short silence before Sean answered.

"We found her but it's not good." Sean said.

Brett knew right away that Sean meant that his sister had been found dead.

"Sean, I'm so sorry." Brett said.

"It's ok. I'll let you know the funeral arrangements. Let everyone know what happened." Sean said.

"I will." Brett said and they hung up the phone.

Brett looked over at Casey's office and saw that his door was shut and he was sitting at his desk working on paperwork. He looked over at the bunk room and saw Brett walking towards him. He got up and opened his door.

"Hey, what's wrong?" he asked.

"Sean called. They found his sister." she said.

"That's good." he said.

"Casey, it's not good news." she said.

When he heard those words come out of her mouth, he knew it was serious.

"They found her dead." she said.

"Has Roman said anything about the funeral?" Casey asked.

"Not yet but he said he would let us know." Brett said.

Casey gave her a hug. He knew that she and Sean had a fling a few years ago and that they had remained close until he started dating Kim Burgess and then got injured and moved away.

"I know you and Roman were close at one point." Casey said.

"Yeah but it seems like he stopped talking to everyone." Brett said.

"I know." Casey said.

Brett and Casey stood there in an embrace before Brett left to go tell Boden what Sean told her. Casey didn't want Brett to go. In fact, he didn't want to release her from his embrace but he had too. He watched as she went to Boden's office. He closed his office door and went back to working on his paperwork.


	6. Making Plans

**Thank you all for the reviews. Please continue to leave reviews and I hope you all really enjoy this chapter. I love this story and I am sorry it's taking me so long to update but things have been so crazy lately. Enjoy this chapter and please leave reviews :)**

CHAPTER 6

"Hey Chief, there's something you should know." Brett said as she came into Boden's office.

Boden looked up at Brett. He could tell by her expression and the tone in her voice that something was wrong.

"What's wrong?" Boden asked.

Brett closed the door.

"They found Sean Roman's sister." Brett said.

Boden knew by the tone in Brett's voice that it wasn't good news.

"Do they know what happened?" Boden asked.

"They do but Sean didn't tell me anything. He just told me she didn't make it." Brett said.

"When you find out the funeral arrangements, let me know. I think we should all be there to support him." Boden said.

Brett nodded and left Boden's office. She headed to the common room where everyone else was.

"Hey guys, I heard from Sean." Brett said.

"Did they find his sister?" Severide asked.

"Yeah." Brett replied with a sad tone.

"And?" Severide asked.

Brett shook her head.

"She didn't make it. I don't know all the details but Sean said as soon as he knew what the funeral arrangements are, he'd let us know." Brett said.

Everyone started chatting about what Brett had told them while Brett went back into the bunk room. Brett just stared at the piece of paper with Julie's cell phone number on it. She contemplated on whether to call Julie or not, but decided not too. She decided to get some much needed rest after all the calls that she and Foster had gotten the last several days at work. Matt took notice of Brett resting on her bunk bed. She crashed hard. The shift seemed to fly by as Brett stayed asleep for nearly six hours. No calls came in, which was shocking. Brett woke up and felt refreshed. She didn't realize how tired she was. She raised up and saw Matt was on his phone. She texted him.

"BORED? - Brett" the text read.

Casey checked his text message and chuckled.

"YES. PAPERWORK IS DONE. - CASEY" he texted back.

"BUNK ROOM OR OFFICE? - BRETT" she said in the text message.

Casey wasn't sure if Brett was playing a cat and mouse game, but their little text flirting was playful and he loved it.

"OFFICE. - CASEY" he replied.

Brett got up and walked over to his office and walked in.

"How was your power nap?" Casey joked.

Brett walked over and sat on his bunk bed.

"I feel great but didn't mean to sleep for half of the shift. How busy were we?" Brett joked.

"Surprisingly, no calls yet." Casey answered.

Brett let out a breath and sighed.

"Are you alright?" Casey asked.

"Yeah. You know, hearing about Sean's sister breaks my heart. You know? I mean, he seemed a bit off and I don't know if it's the paramedic side of me coming out or if it's the friend in me coming out, but Sean looked like he was on something." Brett said.

"You mean like drugs?" Casey questioned.

"I don't know. Could be or it could be something more." Brett said.

"It could be that he's just tired from trying to find his sister." Casey said.

"That's definitely a possibility." Brett replied.

"Change of subject. Have you called Julie?" Casey asked.

"No and I don't know if I want too. I mean, after everything that happened, I'm not sure what to do. I guess I'll just let her make the first move because I can't." Brett said.

"Fair enough." Casey sighed.

"What? You're not gonna tell me what to do?" Brett joked.

Casey knew Brett was just joking around.

"Now, would I ever do such a thing?" Casey chuckled sarcastically.

"I don't know, Matthew Casey. You tend to be very sneaky at times." Brett joked.

The way she said his full name made him smile.

"Sylvie Brett, would I ever be sneaky with you." Casey teased.

Their little bantering continued on for a little bit, with both of them cracking up over everything.

"Thanks for making me laugh." Brett said.

"Anytime." Casey smiled.

Brett left Casey's office and headed to the locker room. Her cell phone rang and it was Sean giving her the information for his sister's funeral. Brett went to Boden's office and informed him of the funeral arrangements. Boden then went to the common room where everyone was eating dinner and told them of the news.

"I hope you all will attend and show support to Sean Roman and his family. That's all." Boden said as he left the room.

"Why are they having her funeral so sudden?" Severide asked.

"I don't know but Sean hasn't seemed like himself. He's taking this pretty hard." Brett responded.

After talking for a few more minutes, Brett started roaming around the firehouse. No calls were coming in, which was rare for the firehouse, but it was something that everyone enjoyed from time to time. Casey noticed Brett was more restless than usual. Brett paced the firehouse for a good half hour before going back to the bunk room. Brett's mind was all over the place. Casey was a bit worried about her, but then again, he was always worried about her. Brett started reading one of her many books that she kept by her bunk bed.

"A Walk To Remember, huh." Casey said as he walked over to the bunk room.

Brett was startled.

"Oh, yeah. It's one of my favorites." Brett smiled.

"Gabby wasn't much of a reader." Casey said.

"I know." Brett acknowledged with a slight giggle.

It was a bit awkward between them but Brett didn't mind. She loved his company and vice versa.

"What are you doing after shift?" Casey casually asked.

"Oh, uh, I don't know yet I'm probably just gonna go home and sleep." Brett said.

They both chuckled a little bit.

"So, I was wondering if you wanted to go with me to help Mr. Larson. He asked if I could help him move some things into storage and since most of those things are upstairs where the fire took place, I was thinking that maybe you would like to keep Dusty company while I help Mr. Larson." Casey said.

Brett's face lit up. Mr. Larson had became a very important person to her.

"Yeah, absolutely." Brett smiled.

"Good." Casey smiled and then walked away.

Several hours later, it was almost time for shift to end. Everyone was in the locker room changing, but Brett was hiding in the women's bathroom. After everyone left, Casey waited for Brett to come out of the bathroom. He was in the locker room at his locker when Brett found him.

"Ready?" Brett happily cheered.

Casey smiled.

"Let's go." Casey said.

They left and headed over to Mr. Larson's place. Mr. Larson opened the door as soon as he heard Casey's truck pull up and he happily greeted Casey and Brett.

"Oh, Sylvie, how are you?" Mr. Larson greeted with a smile.

"I'm ok. How are you and Dusty?" Brett asked.

"We're doing alright but he misses you." Mr. Larson sweetly said.

"Aww, I've missed him too and I've missed you." Brett said as she gave Mr. Larson a hug.

Casey went to shake Mr. Larson's hand but Mr. Larson just pulled him into a friendly hug and then they all stepped inside the house.

"Sylvie, darling, would you mind staying down here with Dusty while Matt and I move some things? I don't want Dusty wondering around upstairs while we are working." Mr. Larson asked.

"Absolutely. I love this little guy." Brett smiled.

Mr. Larson gave her a warm smile and he and Casey headed upstairs to start packing up to put into storage while Brett played with Dusty. She fell in love with that cat. Casey and Mr. Larson were moving things around and Brett was curious over a conversation she heard Casey and Mr. Larson have.

"So, are you and Sylvie dating?" Mr. Larson asked innocently.

"Ah, no sir. We are just good friends." Casey said.

"Oh, so you have a wife or girlfriend?" Mr. Larson asked.

"I used too be married. She and I got divorced. She came back to Chicago a while ago but I haven't heard from her since. I hope she's doing well but I don't think I could ever do that relationship again. I'll always carry a special place for her but she wanted things that I just didn't want." Casey said.

"I understand that." Mr. Larson said.

As they began moving things around, Mr. Larson slowly began to have trouble breathing and Casey immediately yelled for Brett.

"Brett!" Casey yelled.

Brett knew by the sound of Casey's voice that something was wrong. She ran upstairs as fast as she could and saw Mr. Larson holding his chest.

"Let's sit you down." Brett said as she walked Mr. Larson over to a chair that was in the room.

Brett asked several questions to see what could be wrong with Mr. Larson.

"Casey, can you get my bag downstairs?" Brett asked.

Casey ran downstairs and grabbed Brett's bag and brought it up to her. She put her stethoscope on and checked Mr. Larson's breathing and pulse. After a few minutes, Mr. Larson started to feel better. Brett recommended that he go to Chicago Med, but Mr. Larson didn't want too. After a few more minutes, Brett suggested that he get some rest and not overdo it. He agreed and they all walked downstairs to the spare room. Once they got him settled, they said their goodbyes. Casey had agreed to come back the next morning before shift. They walked to Casey's truck and got in.

"So, Cruz's wedding is coming up in a few weeks. Are you going with anyone?" Casey asked.

"No one has asked or at least no one that I'm interested in." Brett answered.

"Well, would you maybe wanna be my date to Cruz's wedding?" Casey nervously asked.

The suggestion threw her for a loop and she looked at him.

"I don't see why not. I mean, we are friends." Brett nervously replied.

"I guess it's date." Casey smiled.

Brett smiled and it didn't take them long before Casey pulled up to 51 so that Brett could get her car.

"So, I'll see you at work tomorrow." Brett said as she opened her door.

"Uh, yeah. Hey, would you maybe wanna ride together tomorrow. I'm gonna check on Mr. Larson before shift and I was thinking we could ride together." Casey suggested.

"Sure. I'd like that. See ya tomorrow." Brett smiled as she got out of the truck.

She closed the door and Casey watched her get into her car before leaving. Brett was all smiles. She was going out on a date with Matthew Casey, a man that she has been crushing on for a while but at the same time, he was also becoming her best friend. What could possibly go wrong at Cruz's wedding in a few weeks? One thing was certain, she was a bit excited that Casey was going to be the one who takes her to Cruz's wedding. After Brett got to her apartment, her phone rang. It was Casey.

"Hello?" Brett asked over the phone.

"Hey Brett, it's Casey. You forgot your bag in my truck. Would you mind if I came to your apartment to give it to you?" Casey asked.

It was then that Brett realized she didn't have her bag.

"Absolutely. I kind of need it." Brett chuckled.

"I'll be there in about five minutes." Casey said.

"Alright. See you then." Brett said as she and Casey hung up the phone.

Cruz was staying with Chloe and Foster was out for the rest of the day. Brett was home alone and was a bit giddy. She ran into her bedroom and changed into a pair of navy blue sweat pants and a black women's Bret Michaels tank top. She loved being around Casey but she couldn't shake the feeling that something was going to happen at Cruz's wedding that she wasn't prepared for. Just as her mind started to wonder, there was a knock on the door. It was Casey.


	7. Getting To Know You

***Author's Not* This story does incorporate some parts from the March 4, 2020 episode of Chicago Fire and I give full credit to NBC and Chicago Fire. I do not own the storyline that they used but I did borrow and changed a few things. ****I'm sorry I haven't posted in a while. I've had several family issues I've been dealing with lately. I have read the reviews and I appreciate them so much! Please continue to leave reviews and I hope you enjoy this chapter. **

CHAPTER 7

Brett opened the door to Casey, who was standing there with Brett's duffel bag.

"Here's your bag. I think you might need it." Casey laughed.

Brett chuckled.

"Yeah, I do." Brett smiled.

"So, have you heard from Julie?" Casey asked.

"No." Brett quickly answered.

"So, what color suit should I wear to the wedding? I wanna match with you." Casey chuckled.

Brett laughed.

"I'll let you know closer to the wedding." Brett giggled.

"Sounds good. I'll pick you up tomorrow before shift to see Mr. Larson, then." Casey noted.

"I'll be ready." Brett smiled.

Casey smiled back and then left. Brett stood in the doorway watching Casey walk down the hall to the steps with a huge smile on her face. Once he was out of her sight, she walked back into her apartment and closed the door. She was too giddy. There was something about Casey that made her smile and feel good about herself. Unlike her past relationships, she felt safe and secure with Casey, even as friends. It's the safest she's ever felt but a part of her just couldn't stop thinking that maybe there was a chance that Gabby and maybe Antonio, would show up at Cruz's wedding. A few days later, Brett met Julie at a restaurant for breakfast.

"So tell me a little about yourself. Like, what's your favorite movie or song?" Julie asked.

"I love La La Land. I've watched it about a hundred times or more." Brett answered.

"Me too." Julie smiled.

They talked a little bit before Brett headed to the firehouse for her shift. During the morning briefing before shift started, Boden went over a list of things that he needed done but was a bit cranky due to the diet that Donna, his wife, had placed him on. Lucky for Brett, Ambulance 61, Truck 81, and Squad 3 all got called out onto a call before Boden really went off. When they came back from shift, Casey and Severide were on odds. They had disagreed about how to handle a call. Brett, Stella, and Foster just laughed.

"Men. Can't live with them. Can't live without them." Stella laughed.

They laughed and headed inside where they were greeted by Lily, Otis's former girlfriend.

"Lily!" Brett squealed in excitement.

Brett, Foster, and Stella gave Lily a hug.

"We've missed you!" Stella said.

"I know. I'm sorry I haven't been around much. It's just when Brian died, I..." Lily trailed off.

"We get it. How have you been?" Brett asked.

"It's taken me a long time to accept that Brian wasn't coming home to me." Lily explained.

"Hey, you're one of us and always will be. You always have a home here." Stella said.

"I know. Herrmann told me the same thing." Lily giggled.

"He's right, you know." Foster said.

Lily's phone rang. It was a text message.

"I hate to cut things short, but I have to go. Let's meet up at Molly's one night this week and catch up." Lily said.

"Absolutely." Foster said.

Lily gave them a hug and then left. While Foster and Stella hung out in the common room, Brett was in the bunk room looking at two baby pictures of her with Julie right after she was born.

"Hey." Casey said.

"Hey. Are you ok?" Brett asked.

"I don't know. I can't shake this call. I mean, what if that woman was still alive and nearby somewhere? I could have given Severide and Squad a few minutes to check and make sure no one was there, but I didn't." Casey said.

"Yeah but if had and he didn't find anything, he would have kept searching until he got swept away by the tides coming in or worse. You did the right thing.  
Don't be so hard on yourself." Brett said.

"That woman was so young." Casey said.

"Matt, you did what you thought was best. You assessed the situation and all the possible outcome and made your decision based on the temperature of the water, the weather, everything." Brett explained.

Casey sighed.

"Hey, don't beat yourself up over this but the fact that you do that, well, that just makes you a great person and a great captain." Brett smiled.

"Thanks. I appreciate the compliment." Casey chuckled.

"It's not a compliment. It's the truth." Brett smiled.

"What do you have there?" Casey asked.

"You wanna see?" Brett asked with a smile.

"Sure." Casey replied.

Brett handed him the two pictures.

"No." Casey teased.

"Yep. Julie gave them to me when we had breakfast." Brett chuckled.

"Well that was nice of her." Casey smiled.

"That was the day I was born. Go figure." Brett smiled.

"That's pretty cute. I mean, you were a cute baby and you're still cute today." Casey teased.

"Cute?" Brett asked jokingly.

They both chuckled.

"The fact that I was in the arms of a teen mother still shocks me but I guess I'm one of the lucky ones that got adopted into a great family." Brett said.

"How are things going with the two of you?" Casey asked.

"Good but I don't wanna get too close. There's always that possibility of her leaving and I don't want to get close. Plus, her husband gives me bad vibe that I can't shake but I don't want to say anything just yet." Brett said.

"I get it. That's how I felt when Gabby came back for that gala." Casey said.

"What happened?" Brett asked.

"It brought up bad feelings and if you hadn't pushed me into going to the gala, I wouldn't have gotten closure for myself. I can't speak for Gabby but I can speak for myself and I feel like that chapter in my life has completely closed." Casey explained.

"So, if she were to show up at Cruz's wedding, you wouldn't be tempted to give her another chance if she asked you?" Brett questioned.

That's a question that Casey wasn't ready to hear. He didn't know how to answer that. A part of him thought about it several times but he could never answer the question. The truth is, he always had a special place for Gabby in his heart but she hurt him so badly and it took Brett's friendship and kindness to help him get over the damage that Gabby had done.

"I might be. I don't know. She and I hooked up the last time she was in town and although it was closure for me, it might not have been closure for her. I haven't seen or heard from her since that night." Casey explained.

"That's understandable." Brett said.

"You're still going to be my date to Cruz's wedding, aren't you?" Casey asked.

"You can't get rid of me that easily, Casey." Brett teased.

They both chuckled and after talking, Casey went back to his office. The rest of the day went by pretty fast, surprisingly. They only had two calls the whole entire shift. After shift had ended, Brett was at Molly's with her birth mother, Julie. Casey came in and Stella nearly bit his head off because of the diet that she agreed to do with Boden.

"Hey, is Kelly around?" Casey asked Stella.

"What do I look like?" Stella hatefully said.

"Sorry for asking." Casey said.

"Sorry, it's this stupid diet." Stella said.

"I get it." Casey said.

"Hey Casey, you see who Brett's with?" Stella said as she pointed in Brett's direction.

"Is that..." Casey started to ask.

"...her birth mother? Yeah, it is." Stella said as she finished Casey's question.

Casey made eye contact with Brett, who happily smiled and motioned for him to come over to her and Julie. He walked over with a small smile on his face.

"Matt, this is my birth mother, Julie. Julie, this is Captain Matt Casey." Brett said as she introduced the two of them.

Julie took notice of how Brett and Casey were looking at each other. The three of them chatted for a bit before Julie received a phone call from her husband,  
Scott.

"Excuse me, I have to take this." Julie said as she excused herself.

"You two seem to be getting close." Casey said.

"Just trying to get to know each other. That's all." Brett said.

Before Casey could speak, Julie returned.

"I'm sorry to have to cut this short but I'll see you tomorrow before I leave to go back home." Julie said.

"See you tomorrow." Brett smiled.

Julie smiled and then left, leaving Brett and Casey alone together.

"So you guys are meeting up tomorrow?" Casey asked.

"Yeah. She said she wants to talk to me about something. I have no idea what it could be about." Brett said.

"How do you feel about that?" Casey asked.

"I don't know. I guess I'll find out tomorrow." Brett said.

They talked for a bit before leaving Molly's.

"I'll let you know how it goes tomorrow." Brett smiled.

"Alright. See you later." Casey smiled back.

They left and they both headed home. The next morning while waiting at a restaurant for Julie, Brett started to wonder if she really wanted to get close to her birth mom. Julie arrived with her husband, Scott.

"Sylvie, this my husband Scott. Scott, this is Sylvie." Julie said as she introduced them to each other.

"So, Julie tells me you are a paramedic with the Chicago Fire Department." Scott said.

"I am. I've been with them for about five or six years now." Brett said.

"What made you decide to be a paramedic?" Julie asked.

"That's easy. I love helping people and if I can save the life of a person, then I know that I've helped that person and their family." Brett said.

It was partially the truth. The rest of the reason for why she became a paramedic was due to the fact that she was adopted and felt abandoned by her birth mother. Now that she knows why Julie gave her up, she is still afraid of getting close to her because she's afraid that Julie will leave her again.

"So, we have some news to share with you." Julie said.

"Ok." Brett said curiously.

"Scott and I are thinking about moving to Chicago. The main office to his job is here in Chicago and we have been discussing the possibility of moving here and if we do, that would give us a chance to get to know each other but of course, with your boundaries. I don't want to come between you and your family." Julie said.

Brett was thrown. She wasn't ready to have Julie come to Chicago but she didn't really have a choice.

"We know this is a lot to take in, but Julie really wants to get to know you." Scott said.

"I understand. I'm just a little in shock. That's all." Brett said.

"So, how long have you and Matt been dating?" Julie asked.

That threw Brett off. Was it obvious that she had a little crush on Casey?

"Oh, we're not dating. He's just a good friend. He recently lost his apartment in a fire, so he is staying with one of the other guys in the firehouse until he finds another apartment but we are just friends." Brett rambled on.

"Are you sure there's nothing more going on between the two of you? I see the way he looks at you." Julie said.

Brett wondered what Julie meant by that. They continued to chat for a little while and then Scott and Julie left the restaurant, while Brett stayed back for a bit. After taking in everything that Julie and Scott told her, she paid for her breakfast and left. After driving home, she went inside her apartment, changed clothes, grabbed her iPod and keys, and went for a long walk around the block. Casey just happened to be down the street working on a client's roof when he spotted Brett walking down the street, not paying attention to anything. He smiled, watching her walk by in deep thought. He realized that she was supposed to meet Julie this morning. Brett was ready to scream. She made it all the way down the street and around the block before she stopped. She dialed a phone number and listened to the phone ring.

"Hello?" a woman's voice asked.

"Hey mom. How are you and dad?" Brett asked.

"We're good. Sylvie, sweetie, is something wrong?" her mom asked.

"I have something to tell you and dad. It's about my birth mother." Brett said.

"What is it?" her mom asked.

"I don't want you to be mad or upset with me but she reached out to me and made contact. I have a lot of questions mom, and she's the only one who can answer them." Brett said.

"Sweetheart, your dad and I told you when you were eighteen that if you wanted to find her or wanted to reach out to her, you have our support. Sweetheart, if you need to meet her and have your questions answered, we won't be upset." her mom said.

"That's just it. I've already met her. I have so many questions for her and she and her husband told me that they are moving to Chicago." Brett said.

"How do you feel about that?" her mom asked.

"No matter what happens, you will always be my mom and I love you and dad so much. I'm not sure what's going to happen but I need answers, mom." Brett said.

"Honey, if that's what you want, then your dad and I support you. We have to go but you can always call us anytime. We love you, sweetheart." her mom said.

"I love you, too." Brett said as she and her mom said their goodbyes and hung up the phone.

Brett could finally breathe a little bit. A big weight had been lifted off of her shoulder and she felt at peace.


	8. Hanging Out Together

**Hey everyone, I am sorry that I haven't updated in a while. Things have been really hectic and crazy lately and I have had Chicago Fire withdrawals since it wasn't on last week. In honor of tonight's new episode, here is the new chapter. Due to the COVID-19 going on in the world, I hope everyone stays safe and healthy. Feel free to leave reviews! Hope you enjoy this chapter!**

CHAPTER 8

After talking to her mom on the phone, Brett gathered herself and walked back down the same way she came. As she walked, she saw Casey's truck and then saw a man on top of the roof of a house. She quickly realized it was Casey and smiled. How did she not notice him before? She was preoccupied before with thoughts about Julie, Scott, and her parents. Brett quickly looked away, hoping that Casey hadn't noticed her looking at him but he did notice. He noticed that she stopped and looked at him but he didn't let her notice that he saw her. He needed to get something from his truck, so he climbed down the ladder and casually walked over to his truck where Brett was passing by.

"Hey, how did it go?" Casey asked.

"Oh, hey. Uh, it went ok I guess. Apparently they are moving to Chicago. Julie's husband's wants to be closer to his job, which is here in Chicago." Brett confided in Casey.

"How do you feel about that?" Casey asked.

"I don't know. I mean, there's a lot of questions that I need answered like what led her to end up being pregnant with me. Like, was it a random guy or a boyfriend or like did her parents support her when she was pregnant. You know, important things that I need to know. I wanna know if I'm Irish, Scottish, really just my heritage just in case I ever have kids of my own. I can tell them about my mom and dad's side of the family but I need to know for myself where Julie comes from." Brett tried to explain.

"I get it. I would want to know all of that too." Casey said.

"So if I said that I only want my questions that I have to be answered and afterwards cut ties with her, would that be horrible?" Brett asked.

Casey looked at Brett and chuckled.

"Brett, you are far from horrible. I think we both know the answer to that but I think you should distance yourself though and not get too attached to her. I'm not saying that you should completely cut Julie off, but I also don't want you to get attached to a woman who can abandon you all over again." Casey said.

Brett knew that Casey was concerned for her and the fact that he seemed a bit protective over her made her smile.

"I promise, I won't get attached." Brett promised.

Casey gave her a look.

"Just be careful." Casey replied.

"I will." Brett said.

They gave each other a hug and then Casey went back to work while Brett walked back home. After Brett got back to her apartment, she went into her bedroom and changed into some pajamas and went to bed. After taking a nap for several hours, Brett woke up and the image of Casey working on the roof of that house played through her mind. She replayed their conversation and decided it was best to distance herself from Julie but not too much, as she still needed answers and Julie was the only one who could give it to her. Brett looked in the fridge for something to cook but Cruz and Foster hadn't done the shopping, which irritated Brett. Every single week for the last month, Brett has done the shopping because Cruz is usually gone to Chloe's place and now that Foster had moved in with them, it was Foster's week to go grocery shopping but she hadn't. Brett decided to get dressed and go out to grab a bite to eat. After she got dressed, she grabbed her purse and keys and then headed out the door. Once she had gotten into her car, she headed to one of the restaurants that she frequently visits. After she arrived, she parked her car in the parking lot and headed inside the restaurant where the hostess sat her at a table.

"What can I get you to drink?" the waitress said as she came over to take Brett's order.

"Can I have a water?" Brett asked with a smile.

The waitress left to go get Brett her drink. As Brett looked at the menu, she felt someone sit across from her. She looked up and was pleasantly surprised to see the person sitting across from her.

"Mind if I join you?" Casey asked with a grin.

"Not at all." Brett grinned back.

"So, what's for dinner?" Casey joked.

"I don't know. I usually just get the honey bbq wings and ribs." Brett giggled.

The waitress came back with Brett's water and sat it on the table.

"Are you ready to order?" the waitress asked.

"I'll have the honey BBQ wings and ribs with fries." Brett said.

The waitress took Brett's order and then turned to Casey.

"And what can I get you?" the waitress flirted.

"I'll have the same with a water as well." Casey said as he looked at Brett with a smile.

The waitress wrote down their orders and left to go place the orders in but not without giving Casey a flirtatious smile.

"Looks like you've caught the eye of someone." Brett noted.

Casey looked at her and grinned.

"I hope so." Casey winked at her.

He and Brett had been flirting with each other for weeks, even months, but neither of them knew how to tell the other one that they were interested given their history of relationships. They chatted about work and everything for a few minutes until the waitress brought out Casey's drink and placed it on the table with a smile. Casey didn't smile but nodded his head towards her, acknowledging her. She left to check on her other tables.

"Did Cruz tell you about the guest list for his wedding?" Brett asked.

"Uh, no. Why?" Casey asked.

"I accidentally overheard him talking to Chloe in the living room about it and they invited Antonio and Gabby." Brett said.

Casey was shocked. He wasn't expecting to hear that.

"You did? Did they say if Antonio and Gabby were coming?" Casey asked.

"That's what I wanted to talk to you about. They are supposed to be coming to the wedding and if they show up, I wanted you to know before you were ambushed by Gabby like last time." Brett said.

"Thanks for the warning." Casey chuckled.

"That leads me to my next question. Where does that leave us? I mean, we were supposed to go to the wedding together but if Gabby and Antonio are coming back,  
where does that leave us?" Brett chuckled.

"We're still going together. I'm not about to let Gabby come back and try to work things out with me, especially given what she put me through. She chose to leave me and abandon our marriage and life together because she needed to do that for herself. I'm not about to go through that again. I'm keeping my word. I am going to be your date for Cruz's wedding." Casey smiled.

Brett smiled back and the waitress walked out with their honey BBQ wings.

"Here you go." the waitress said as she placed the plates of honey BBQ wings on the table.

Casey and Brett smiled at each other.

"Is there anything else that I can get you?" the waitress asked.

"Uh, not for me." Brett said.

"I'm good." Casey said.

The waitress gave another flirtatious smile to Casey before leaving the table.

"You know she's flirting with you." Brett implied.

"I wouldn't doubt it." Casey smirked.

Brett gave him a look.

"What?" Casey asked with a grin on his face.

"I didn't say anything." Brett giggled.

"Are you going to Molly's tonight?" Casey asked.

"I'm not sure yet. I feel so ragged and rundown. I just need a spa day where I can just get a dang massage." Brett chuckled.

Casey chuckled. Before he could reply, the waitress came by with their food and placed it on the table. She removed their empty plates that had the honey bbq wings on it and gave Casey another smile before leaving.

"I have an idea and I hope you don't take it the wrong way." Casey said.

"Ok." Brett said.

"Why don't I come over tonight and give you a massage. You don't have to get naked or anything like that, but why pay money to go get a massage when I can give you one for free?" Casey suggested.

Brett gave him a look.

"Fine with me but no funny business." Brett joked.

They chuckled and ate their meal while chatting. About halfway through their meal, they realized that they couldn't eat anymore and asked the waitress for a box. The waitress brought them each a box along with their receipt for their meal.

"It's on me." Casey smiled as he handed the waitress the money to pay for the meals.

The waitress left to get some change for Casey. After getting the change, she brought them each a bag for their boxes and gave Casey the remaining change. He gave her a ten dollar tip. As he and Brett were getting ready to head out the door, the waitress stopped Casey to ask him out, but he said that he was taken and would never cheat on his girlfriend. Brett was surprised but went along with Casey's story. The waitress smiled and headed back to one of her tables while he and Brett walked out the door.

"So, why don't I follow you to your place and we can hang out. We haven't really hung out lately." Casey said.

"You mean, outside of work?" Brett asked.

"Yeah." Casey chuckled.

They agreed and left separately in their cars to go to Brett's apartment. After they got to Brett's apartment and got inside, Brett noticed a note left on the fridge that Foster wrote.

"BRETT, GONE OUT FOR THE NIGHT. - FOSTER" Brett read the note out loud.

"Well, Cruz is at Chloe's and I guess Foster left you for the night." Casey joked.

"Yeah." Brett smiled.

"Well, I promised you a massaged." Casey joked nervously.

"I have a better idea. Why don't I give you one?" Brett said.

Casey was taken aback and a bit confused. Did he just hear her ask him if she could give him a massage instead of the other way around?

"You want to give me a massage?" Casey asked.

"I think you need it more than I do." Brett joked.

"You know, I can't even remember the last time I had one. Gabby never gave me one. She would rub my shoulders and neck but then start kissing me and well, I never actually got one." Casey chuckled.

"Well, you don't have to worry about that." Brett smiled.

They made their way to the couch and both were nervous. Casey and Brett sat on the couch and Casey turned his back to Brett so that she could have access to his back side. Brett started massaging Casey's neck, followed by his shoulders and then back. After about an hour, Brett stopped because her hands were cramping up.

"Wow. I have to say, that was the best massage that I have ever had." Casey said with a big grin on his face.

"What can I say? I've had practice." Brett joked.

Casey turned to look at her.

"Do I want to know?" Casey asked.

"Cruz. Did you forget that he and I dated for a few months?" Brett joked.

Casey chuckled.

"Oh yeah, that's right." Casey smirked.

Brett playfully smacked Casey and the next thing that they knew, they were both pillow fighting each other with the throw pillows on the couch. They were laughing so hard that they couldn't breathe.

"Can't...breathe..." Brett whispered.

They stopped and tried to stop laughing but the more they tried not to laugh, the more they laughed harder. After catching their breath and stopped laughing,  
Casey pulled away and stood up to stretch. Brett stood up and walked to the kitchen.

"Do you want anything?" Brett asked as she grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge.

"No, I'm good." Casey replied.

"So, I'm supposed to meet up with Julie tomorrow. She said she is going to try to answer my questions that I have." Brett said.

"That's a good thing, isn't it?" Casey questioned.

"It is, but I am so nervous. I mean, what if this doesn't work out? What if I ultimately get attached to Julie because she's my birth mother?" Brett asked.

"You and Julie will always have a bond. She's the one who gave birth to you. Nothing can take that away." Casey tried to reassure her.

"That's true." Brett sighed.

Casey walked over to Brett and pulled her into a hug. She loved his hugs. She loved being around him but her thoughts were on Gabby. What if Gabby comes back,  
even for a short visit? Brett knew that she and Casey weren't together but they had been getting closer since Gabby left. Casey loved being around Brett. Gabby hurt him so bad but the thought of Gabby coming back just made him nervous. Will she try to get back with him? Will she have a new boyfriend? Casey didn't know but one thing is for certain, he didn't want to lose Brett and if he is being perfectly honest with himself, he can't lose Brett. Not after what she has been through, losing Otis and now dealing with her birth mom. If anything, Casey wanted to be more than friends with Brett but wasn't sure how to ask her out. At least they were going to the wedding together and decided to make it a date.


	9. Decisions

**Hey everyone, I am so sorry it's been a while since I've updated this story. I have been sick with strep throat and my allergies haven't helped much. I've also been dealing with some personal issues, but here is the next chapter. Please leave a review and let me know what you all think. Some of this fanfic will be based off of episodes of Season 8 of Chicago Fire, so I give full credit to NBC and Chicago Fire for my take of their storylines involving Brett and Casey. Enjoy and I hope to update again real soon :)**

CHAPTER 8

A few days later, Brett and Casey were at Firehouse 51 and had a few interesting calls but not once did they talk to each other. Casey's mind was on other things the whole day, namely reliving the loss of Louie. Louie's biological father returned from overseas and it led to a mess that ultimately resulted in Louie going back to his biological father. The loss hit both Casey and Gabby hard as they were going to adopt him. Thoughts of Louie crept into Casey's mind but not before thinking about all of the things that Brett has recently gone through. After shift was over, Brett met up with Julie and went to a real estate agency to try and find Julie a place to live in Chicago. The real estate agent flirted heavily with Brett and she did smile a little flirtatious smile that Julie noticed. Afterwards, Julie smiled at Brett.

"I see how that guy was looking at you. You should go out with him." Julie playfully teased.

"I don't know. I just got out of an engagement. I'm not sure if I'm ready to move on yet." Brett said.

"How will you know unless you try?" Julie asked.

Brett chuckled and they left. Julie headed back to Rockford and Brett headed to her apartment. Her thoughts wondered but after she got home, she went to her bedroom and changed clothes. A few days later while at the firehouse, Julie came by. She was having severe contractions. Boden was on his way to talk to Severide when he noticed the women by the ambulance.

"Chief, Julie's in labor and she's alone." Brett firmly said.

"Go. Shift is almost over and this is an emergency." Boden reassured them as they got Julie into the ambulance.

"Thanks, Chief." Brett said before closing the door.

Foster and Brett headed to Chicago Med with Julie. As soon as they got there, Maggie and two others immediately paged Julie's OB doctor and took her upstairs.  
They updated Brett ever so often, but it didn't look good. Brett called Scott to find out where he was but he was stuck behind an accident on the highway. She paced around the room. Foster had to leave but Brett stayed, waiting for Scott to arrive. One of the nurses came and gave Brett an update and then left. She paced the room before texting Casey. She needed him. She didn't want anyone else with her. She wanted Casey.

"JULIE. CHICAGO MED. NOT GOOD. - BRETT" the text said as Casey read the message on his phone.

"Hey Mouch, I gotta go." Casey told Mouch.

"Is everything ok?" Mouch asked.

"I don't know." Casey said.

He took some money from his wallet and placed it on the table for the beer and then left. Casey arrived at Chicago Med within a few minutes and found Brett pacing nervously and anxiously.

"Hey, what's going on? I got here as fast as I could." Casey said.

"It's Julie. She went into labor and it's not good. Scott is stuck behind some accident on the highway." Brett explained.

Casey saw the doctor coming their way and gave Brett a look.

"Hey Sylvie, I need to ask. How do you and Julie know each other?" the doctor asked.

"She's my birth mom." Brett replied.

"There were a few complications..." the doctor said as she continued to explain the complications.

After explaining what had happened, the doctor left to call Scott, Julie's husband.

"I...I...she was just here. We talked in the ambulance about how she and Scott wanted me and my parents to have dinner with them this weekend." Brett said in tears.

Casey pulled her close and held her.

"Shh." Casey tried to soothe Brett.

The doctor came back into the room.

"Sylvie, would you like to see the baby?" the doctor asked.

Brett looked at Casey for reassurance.

"Go." Casey slightly smiled.

Brett gave him a slight smile and then left to go see her new half sister. As Brett entered the nursery, a nurse handed her the newborn baby. Brett held the baby and started weeping. After a while, Brett gave the baby back to the nurse and then left the room. She met Casey back in the waiting room.

"She's beautiful." Brett smiled as she cried.

Casey wiped the tears from Brett's eyes. Just then, Scott arrived.

"Sylvie, where is she? Where's Julie?" Scott asked worriedly.

Scott could tell that it wasn't good news. The doctor came in and filled Scott in on what happened with Julie. Scott started crying and then followed the doctor to the nursery where the baby was. Sylvie stayed back with Matt and he held her.

"We'll stay as long as you want." Matt reassured Brett.

They waited until Scott came back.

"Sylvie, um, thank you for everything. I've got a lot of things to take care of right now. They told me that I can take the baby home in a few days. I'll let you know the funeral arrangements and uh, if you're worried that I won't let you see the baby, don't be. You can see her whenever you want. In fact, I may need you to babysit while I'm out of town for work." Scott said.

Brett was touched by Scott's gesture. She smiled and thanked him for that. He gave her a hug and then headed back to the nursery where the baby was. Casey took Brett back to the firehouse to change and get her car. Casey waited for Brett to come out of the locker room and walked her to her car.

"Hey, are you alright?" Casey asked with a concerned tone.

"I don't know. I'm just trying to process everything." Brett said.

Casey gave Brett a hug.

"If you need to talk or just can't sleep, call me, day or night." Casey said.

"I will. Thanks." Brett half smiled.

They hugged and then headed their separate ways. After Brett got home, she went into her bedroom and closed the door. She was too tired to change into her pajamas, so she just crawled into bed wearing the same clothes she had on. She pulled the blanket over her body and went to sleep. By the time she woke up, it was late in the evening. She was just glad that she was off work the next day. She got up and checked her messages. She saw a text message from Casey and smiled.

"MOLLY'S TONIGHT? IF NOT, MOVIE NIGHT AT YOUR PLACE? - CASEY." the text message said.

Brett smiled and sent Casey a text message.

"MOVIE NIGHT. BRING PIZZA. - BRETT." Brett said in the message.

Casey was at Kelly's place when he heard his phone ring. Based on the ringtone, he could tell that it was a text. He smiled when he read the message.

"BE THERE IN AN HOUR - CASEY." Casey smiled as he sent the text to Brett.

Brett read the message and smiled. Foster was at a friend's house and Cruz was at Chloe's place. Brett got up and changed into a pair of black yoga pants and a pink shirt that looked like it was a tank top but it was short sleeves. She brushed her hair and waited for Casey. She wasn't sure why she was so nervous, but she was glad that he was coming over. As Brett paced around the apartment while waiting for Casey, straightening up as much as she could before he got there, Brett's phone rang. She looked at the number and saw it was Casey.

"Hello?" Brett asked.

"Hey, it's me. I'm running a bit late. Apparently every place I've been too is busy. Do you just want to order Chinese food instead?" Casey asked over the phone.

"Sure. That sounds great." Brett smiled.

"I'll call it in. You want the sesame chicken, rice, broccoli, and the Mongolian beef, right?" Casey asked.

Brett chuckled. Casey always teased her at work whenever she would eat left over take out food.

"Uh, yeah." Brett replied with a smile.

"I'll be there as soon as I can." Casey smiled.

They hung up the phone and Brett nervously paced the apartment, checking and double checking everything. About an hour later, Casey arrived with the food after waiting in line at the restaurant. Brett let him in and they walked over to the couch and sat down. Casey sat the food on the coffee table and started pulling the food out of the bag and handing it to Brett. After getting settled with their food, Brett turned the TV on and turned it on Netflix, scrolled through the movies and then began playing the movie Mary Poppins Returns.

"I haven't seen the first one in ages. Now, they have a second one?" Casey chuckled.

"Uh, yeah. Emily Blunt plays Mary Poppins in this movie. I haven't seen it but like you, I haven't seen the first one in a while." Brett smiled.

They started eating their food while watching the movie. They talked about the differences between the new movie and the original and laughed a bit about a few things they talked about. After they were finished eating and were finished with the movie, they cleaned up the mess from the food and talked about Julie.

"So, Scott called me earlier and told me that he was considering giving the baby up for adoption." Brett said.

"Really? Why?" Casey asked curiously.

"The other day after shift, I went to check on the baby and he said that he wasn't sure if he wanted to be a dad to her. It got me thinking long and hard. If he doesn't want her, I want to take care of her." Brett stated.

Casey was taken aback for a minute and then smiled.

"Whatever you decide, I'm here for you. You know that, right?" Casey asked.

"Yeah." Brett sighed with a smile.

Casey quickly changed the subject to Stella's "Girls On Fire" project, in which Brett and Foster were helping out. After cleaning up, Brett started to yawn. This was the first time since she had lived in the apartment, where both of her roommates were gone for the night. It was peaceful and yet eerie and Casey could pick up on Brett's demeanor.

"You ok?" Casey asked.

"Yeah, it's just weird. Both Foster and Cruz aren't here. It's the first time since I moved in with both Otis and Joe and now Foster, that I've been here by myself." Brett chuckled.

Casey's mind went to a place it shouldn't have. He quickly shook his head.

"If you need anything, you can call me, day or night." Casey said.

"I will." Brett smiled.

They gave each other a hug before Casey left. Brett stood in the door and watched Casey walk down the hallway to the stairwell. Once he was out of sight, she went back inside the apartment, closed and locked the door, and went to her bedroom. She closed the door to her bedroom and went to bed. She was tired. Cruz's wedding was in two days and all she had to do was get through the next shift before she got all dressed up for Chloe and Cruz's and all she could think about while trying to fall asleep is walking down the aisle next to Casey at Chloe and Cruz's wedding. She is a bridesmaid and he is a groomsman, so the thought of walking down the aisle next to him, made her happy. Casey was truly the first guy that she felt a true connection with. Even though she and Cruz dated, there was something missing. With Antonio, it was more of a physical connection than anything. Same with Kyle and the others. With Casey, it was different. It was more than physical between them but neither of them acted on it, at least not yet. The next morning at work was crazy. There were protesters locking the doors with chains and chaining themselves to the fire trucks all because one of the CFD houses got shut down. It wasn't 81's fault that one of the houses closed, but it didn't matter. No one could go out on calls, except for Ambulance 61 but Chief Boden didn't want to risk anymore protesters coming inside the house, so he closed the apparatus bay doors and had everyone lock the doors from the inside. Casey was in his office trying to make some calls to a local Alderman for help with the situation when Brett knocked on his door.

"Hey, you got a minute?" Brett asked.

"Yeah. What's up?" Casey asked.

"So, Scott came by a few minutes ago. He changed his mind about the baby." Brett said with a relief.

"That's great." Casey half smiled.

"Yeah. He told me that the baby gets to go home in three days." Brett explained.

"I know that look. What's wrong?" Casey asked.

"I don't know. I thought long and hard about what to do if Scott decided to give the baby up for adoption and I decided that if anyone should raise that baby,  
it would be me if her father couldn't. Now, he tells me he's changed his mind. It's frustrating." Brett said in frustration.

Casey stood up from his desk and walked over to Brett and gave her a hug. She returned his hug.

"Thanks for that." Brett smiled.

Brett left and headed to the common room, hoping that the protesters that did manage to make it inside the house, were gone. No such luck. She went to the bunk room instead. All the commotion was starting to get to her. The protesters were being loud and obnoxious and Brett needed some peace and quiet. All she had to do was get through this day. Tomorrow was Chloe and Cruz's wedding and thinking about Casey in a tux occupied her mind. A few hours later, one of the protesters needed medical treatment due to using a pipe and chain to chain himself to the firetrucks. It was gonna be a long shift.


	10. The Wedding

**Hey everyone, sorry for the slight delay. I'm hoping to start posting more in the next few weeks. This chapter takes place during Cruz and Chloe's wedding. I do not own the characters or stories. I give full credit to NBC and Chicago Fire. I hope you all like this chapter. Don't forget to leave a review and I hope you all enjoy this chapter :)**

CHAPTER 9

"We need to do a fasciotomy but I'm not trained to do that." Brett said as she and Foster worked on the man.

"I am. Look, if I don't do this now, he could lose his arm. If something happens, I'll take the blame." Foster urged.

Brett looked at Boden who gave her a nod and Brett looked at Foster.

"Do it." Brett said.

Foster did what she was taught to do in med school and afterwards, Foster rode in one of the ambulances to Med so she could paperwork on the patient. Several hours later, shift was over and as she was getting ready to head out the door, she saw Scott standing there with the baby.

"Sylvie." Scott smiled.

"Hey Scott." Brett smiled.

"This is Amelia. I named her after Julie. It was Julie's middle name." Scott said.

"It fits her." Brett smiled.

"Listen, I know you said that you would help with the baby, but I thought I'd let you know that I'm moving back to Rockford. The house wasn't sold and we were only moving here to be closer to my job and to get to know you." Scott explained.

"Oh." Brett said in shock.

"Look, if you're worried that you won't be a part of Amelia's life, don't be. You can come see her anytime you want. I want you to be in her life. When we can, we'll come visit you. It's just that Chicago is very expensive for one person and Rockford is affordable." Scott explained.

"Oh, I get it. I do. I'm gonna miss you guys." Brett smiled.

"Sylvie, please, keep in contact. This little girl needs her sister." Scott said.

"Of course. I understand. You two be safe going home." Brett smiled.

Scott gave Sylvie a hug and they said their goodbyes. Brett was heartbroken. She thought for sure that Scott would stay in Chicago but she couldn't blame him for wanting to go back to Rockford. As Scott left, she held back the tears in her eyes.

"Hey, you better get going. The wedding starts in a few hours." Casey joked before seeing the look on Brett's face.

He saw Brett trying to hold back the tears and walked her to his office and closed the door.

"What happened?" Casey asked with concern.

Brett finally broke down in tears. She couldn't hide it anymore. After composing herself, she finally spoke.

"Scott named the baby, Amelia. He stopped by with the baby to tell me goodbye. He's moving back to Rockford with the baby." Brett broke down in tears again.

Casey pulled her into a hug and held her.

"I'm so sorry, Sylvie." Casey whispered.

He held her for a few minutes before standing up.

"Hey, we got a wedding to go to. Save these tears for later because I know you women love to cry during weddings." Casey slightly joked.

Brett couldn't help but chuckle at Casey's comment about weddings.

"You're right. So, I guess I'll see you at the church." Brett smiled.

Casey wiped away a tear that was falling down her face. They smiled at each other and then headed their separate ways. They went to their respective apartments and got their wedding outfits and headed to the church. Brett arrived at the church with her bridesmaid dress and makeup. She met up with Stella, Chloe, and one of Chloe's friends who were all getting ready for the wedding.

"Chloe, you look amazing." Brett said with a smile.

"Thank you. Sylvie, you can get changed in there." Chloe smiled back as she pointed to the changing room.

"Thanks." Brett said as she went into the changing room.

Brett changed into her dress and put on her heels. She hated wearing heels but she wore them anyway because today was about one of her best friends getting married to the love of his life, Chloe.

"Sylvie, you look beautiful." Chloe said as her friend fixed her hair.

"Chloe, you look stunning." Brett said as she sat down at one of the vanity mirrors.

"Chloe, Cruz is in the other room talking to himself. The guy is a nervous wreck but in a good way." Stella said as she came walking into the room.

Chloe giggled.

"I know how he feels." Chloe replied.

Stella walked over to Brett and helped her with her hair. Afterwards, Chloe sent Brett down the hall to Cruz's room to give him a little love note. Casey came by to let them all know that they were ready and Casey looked around for Brett but didn't see her.

"I'm coming!" Brett said as she ran down the hallway and finally made it back to the room.

"You ready?" Casey asked with a smile.

Brett noticed Casey had a bump or cut on Casey's lip and touched it.

"Yeah." Brett smiled.

They hurried and took their place. The doors opened and Cruz's brother and Chloe's friend walked down the aisle first, followed by Casey and Brett, and then Severide and Stella. The music began playing for Chloe to walk down the aisle and as she got closer to Cruz, she noticed the cut on his forehead.

"I'm so sorry." Cruz quietly whispered.

Chloe quietly giggled.

"I love you." Chloe mouthed and continued to make her way to Cruz.

As the priest gave a quick history about the church, Casey and Brett gave each other longing looks. After the priest was finished, it was time for Cruz and Chloe to say their vows.

"At this time, Joe and Chloe would like to recite their own vows." the priest said.

Cruz took a deep breath and started saying his vows.

"Chloe, I have never loved someone as much as I love you. The first time I saw you, I was saving you from a fire. Then you came by the firehouse and brought desert. I have been in love with you since the first time I saw you. I want nothing more than to protect you as best as I can and to love you to the best of my ability. I love you." Cruz said with tears forming in his eyes.

Chloe's eyes began to form tears. It was now her turn to say her vows.

"Joe, the first time I saw you, I saw this handsome firefighter trying to calm me down from a fire. You saved my life again when I was in that terrible car accident, and when I started freaking out about your job and broke up with you, you refused to give up on me and on us. When you asked me to marry you, there was no doubt in my mind. I wanted to be with you the rest of my life and I love you so much." Chloe said with tears forming in her eyes.

After they exchanged wedding vows, they exchanged wedding rings and were pronounced husband and wife.

"I now pronounce you, husband and wife. You may now kiss the bride." the priest said.

Cruz and Chloe kissed each other and everyone cheered. After the wedding, everyone gathered in the reception building for the reception. The building was right next to the church and was big enough to have dancing and everything without being crammed together. The church had a reception hall but it was a small area. Everyone got in line and got a plate of food. The food varied from fried and BBQ chicken to mashed potatoes and gravy to fruits and vegetables to various salads to hamburgers, most of which was made by Chloe's mom and a friend. The fruits and vegetables were bought at the store. After everyone sat down with their food, Cruz and Chloe stood up and Cruz lightly rang his glass of champagne with a fork to get everyone's attention.

"Thank you all for coming to share this special day with us. We cannot tell you how happy we are that you all could be here to celebrate with us." Cruz said nervously.

"Joe and I would like to ask that all couples share our first dance with us." Chloe happily said.

Cruz and Chloe took the center floor and their song, I Do (Cherish You) by 98 Degrees. Chloe had a thing for 90's boy bands but this song fit the two of them perfectly. As Cruz and Chloe danced, Stella and Severide joined them followed by Mouch and Trudy and Boden and Donna. Looking at Brett, Casey smiled and walked over to her and asked her to dance.

"Wanna dance?" Casey asked.

"I thought this dance was for couples only." Brett joked.

"I won't tell if you don't tell." Casey flashed a smile.

Brett stood up and took his hand.

"Deal." Brett smiled.

Casey flashed her a smile and they started dancing. Casey saw how beautiful Brett looked but also how vulnerable she was. It didn't matter to him. Having her in his arms had never felt so right. She loved being in Casey's arms. The song ended and the DJ began playing upbeat music with several people dancing,  
including Cruz and Chloe. Brett and Casey walked over to their table and sat down. They ate some food that was on their plate and chatted a bit. The wedding was beautiful but Casey could tell that Brett's mind was on other things besides the wedding.

"Get your mind off of the baby and have fun for a little while." Casey said.

"How did you know I was..." Brett said but was interrupted.

"Sylvie Brett, I think I know you well enough by now to know." Casey said.

"You're about the only one who knows me this well." Brett admitted.

Casey looked surprised but before he could respond, Chloe told the DJ to play the Cupid Shuffle, which made Brett jump up.

"What are you doing?" Casey joked.

"I don't know about you, but I'm gonna go dance." Brett giggled as she walked to the dance floor.

Chloe, Stella, Brett, and a few other women had taken their shoes off to dance to the song. Cruz was also getting in on the dancing. Stella grabbed Severide and pulled him into dancing to the song. Casey sat back and watched Brett as she danced and laughed. He couldn't help but smile at her. Seeing her laugh and smile made him happy. The song ended and went right into the Electric Slide. Brett stayed with Chloe and Stella and just let loose. Casey couldn't believe the woman that he was watching. He couldn't help but smile at the sight of Brett having fun, especially considering what she's been through lately. After the song was finished, Brett walked over to the table and laughed.

"What?" Brett giggled to Casey.

"It's good to see you finally having fun for a change." Casey smiled.

Brett smiled at him.

"I have you to thank for that." Brett smiled.

Just then, the song Give Me Love by Ed Sheeran began to play. Couples started dancing and Casey wanted another dance with Brett. He held out his hand and she happily took his hand. They went to the dance floor and started dancing. All of Brett's worries that she had disappeared the minute they started dancing together. After the song ended, the DJ announced that everyone take a seat as Cruz and Chloe were about to cut the cake. Cruz and Chloe walked over to the corner where there was a table with a four layer wedding cake was sitting. They cut the cake and smashed a piece in each others faces. Afterwards, they wiped off their faces and everyone that wanted a piece of cake got a piece. After a while, it was time for Claire to throw the bouquet. Brett, Stella, and several other women gathered on the floor and waited for Chloe to throw the bouquet.

"You guys ready?" Chloe asked with a smile.

Chloe turned her back to the women and threw the bouquet. Brett caught it perfectly and everyone laughed and cheered in good fun. Next, it was time for Cruz to throw Chloe's garter to the single men. After he took the garter off of Chloe's leg, Cruz thew it and Casey caught it. Casey couldn't help but let out a big laugh. Everyone cheered and Casey walked over to Brett.

"So, I guess this means that we are next to get married." Casey joked with a smile.

"I guess so." Brett smiled.

The wedding reception continued with upbeat music and everyone enjoying themselves. The wedding reception continued on but Stella and Brett went to the changing room to change back into their clothes. Casey and Severide did the same as well in the men's changing room. Afterwards, they headed back to the reception building and gave their goodbyes to Cruz and Chloe. Boden, Donna, Mouch, Trudy, Capp, Tony, Herrmann and his family, and the rest of Firehouse 51 had already left the reception.

"So you all are leaving?" Chloe asked.

"Yeah...we have shift first thing in the morning and this guy has had one too many." Stella said referring to Severide.

"I had like three glasses of champagne." Severide quipped.

"Still, it's time to go home." Stella joked.

Severide got the hint of what Stella meant by going home and Casey caught on as well.

"Thank you guys for everything." Cruz chimed in.

"Any time man." Severide said.

They said their goodbyes and left.

"We're gonna head out too." Brett said referring to her and Casey.

"Thank you both for being a part of this day. Joe and I couldn't have asked for better friends." Chloe said.

"Of course. Cruz, see you Tuesday." Casey said.

"See you then. Thank you, Casey and thank you Sylvie for being such a great friend." Cruz said.

"You're welcome. I love you both. I'll see you at work on Tuesday." Brett said as she gave Cruz and Chloe a hug.

Brett and Casey left the building and started walking to their cars.

"So, I'll see you at work tomorrow." Casey said with an awkwardly smile.

"Yeah, I'll see you at work tomorrow." Brett said with a smile.

They chatted for a little bit until Brett's phone rang. It was a text from Foster.

"WON'T BE HOME TONIGHT. SEE YOU AT WORK. - FOSTER." the text read.

"What's wrong?" Casey asked.

"Oh, nothing. Foster just sent me a text saying she wouldn't be home. That's all." Brett said.

Before Casey could say something, his phone rang. It was a text from Severide.

"COULD YOU STAY WITH SOMEONE? STELLA AND I WANT TO BE ALONE. - SEVERIDE." the text read.

Casey quickly sent a text back to Severide.

"NOT A PROBLEM." Casey replied.

"So, what's going on?" Brett asked.

"Well, looks like I've gotta find a place to crash. Kidd and Severide want to be alone." Casey awkwardly said.

Brett giggled.

"Just stay at my place. I mean, Cruz has already moved out and Foster won't be home tonight. I have two spare rooms for the night, so it's no trouble at all.  
That is, if that's ok with you." Brett suggested.

"Sure. Uh, I'll meet you there." Casey smiled.

With that, the two of them got in their vehicles and headed to Brett's apartment.


	11. Danger

**Hey everyone, here is the next chapter. I hope you all enjoy it. Don't forget to leave any feedback for me :)**

CHAPTER 11

Brett and Casey arrived at Brett's apartment and once inside, Brett closed the door.

"Uh, you can either sleep on the couch or in Cruz's old room." Brett suggested.

"Alright." Casey said.

Brett went into her bedroom and closed the door. She changed into a pair of black yoga pants and a light pink tank top. She came back into the living room and saw Casey sitting on the couch wearing a pair of pajama pants and a grey shirt. He was watching TV.

"Want some popcorn?" Brett asked.

"Sure." Casey said, not paying any attention to Brett.

Brett giggled quietly to herself as she noticed Casey was watching the HGTV Network. She went into the kitchen and made some popcorn and then brought the bowl of popcorn over to the couch where Casey was sitting and sat down beside of him.

"Popcorn is done." Brett said as she handed Casey the bowl.

Casey was in deep thought that he didn't even notice Brett sitting beside of him.

"Thanks." Casey said.

There was something bothering Casey. Brett could tell by the tone in his voice that something was bothering him.

"What's wrong?" Brett asked, catching Casey off guard.

"Oh nothing. I was just thinking." Casey said.

Brett wondered if Casey was thinking about Gabby. Before she could say something, her phone rang.

"Hello?" Brett asked.

"Sylvie, it's Scott. I know it's last minute but I don't know what to do. Amelia won't stop crying." Scott said.

"Have you changed her diaper?" Brett asked.

"Yeah." Scott replied.

"And you have fed and burped her?" Brett asked.

"Yeah." Scott said.

"Try taking her for a car ride. Most newborns are a little fussy at first. Car rides usually help them sleep." Brett explained.

"I'll try that and see if it helps. Thank you." Scott said.

They said their goodbyes and hung up the phone.

"Everything ok?" Casey asked.

"Uh, yeah. Scott is just having trouble with the baby. She's a little fussy and won't sleep." Brett said.

"Oh." Casey replied.

Casey had a lot on his mind. Painful memories of Gabby flooded Casey's mind. He was no longer in love with with Gabby but he was thinking about the time he and Gabby lost Louie and their unborn child but didn't know how to Brett.

"Are you ok?" Brett asked.

"Yeah. Just thinking about Louie and..." Casey said.

Brett knew exactly what he was thinking about without hearing him finish the sentence.

"I know." Brett said as she rubbed Casey's shoulder to let him know she understood what he told him.

The touch of Brett's hand on his shoulder felt good on Casey. He reached up, grabbed Brett's hand, and brought it down beside him. He squeezed it and then placed his head on Brett's shoulder.

"You're the only one who has been here for me." Casey sighed.

"Same could be said about you for me." Brett answered.

"I'm glad you didn't leave when Julie died. I don't think I could have gotten through this last year or so without you." Casey said.

"Same here." Brett slightly chuckled.

Casey lifted his head up and looked at her with a sneaky grin. He then grabbed a throw pillow that was beside of him and playfully hit Brett with it.

"You did not just do that." Brett smiled.

She grabbed the throw pillow that was beside her and playfully hit Casey with it.

"Oh, so it's gonna be like that, huh?" Casey teased.

"You started it." Brett giggled.

"I'll show you." Casey said as he started to tickle her.

She started screaming with laughter and tried to playfully tickle him back but it didn't work. She somehow managed to escape from him but was still laughing. Casey was laughing too and for Brett, hearing Casey's laughter meant that she was taking his mind off of everything, at least temporarily.

"I...can't...breathe." Brett said as she stood in the kitchen trying to catch her breath while still laughing.

Casey saw her and walked over to her. She finally caught her breath and he gave her a hug.

"I needed that." Casey whispered.

"Me too." Brett replied with a smile.

They stood close to each other for what seemed like an enternity before Brett decided to go to bed.

"I'll see you in the morning." Brett whispered.

"See you in the morning." Casey whispered back.

He gave her a hug and took in the radiant scent of her intoxicating perfume one last time before watching Brett walk away to her bedroom. Casey decided to sleep in Cruz's old room. The next morning, Brett got up and went to take a shower. Casey woke up after hearing Brett in the bathroom. He looked at his phone and saw that it was 6:00 a.m. and wondered why Brett was up so early. He let out a small groan and tried to go back to sleep. He normally didn't get up until 6:30 or 7:00 a.m. on mornings he had to work. He couldn't get back to sleep, so he got up and opened the door. Brett finished and came back into the room, fully dressed.

"Good morning." Brett cheerfully said.

Casey couldn't help but smile.

"Morning." Casey replied with a smile.

Truth is, Casey had Brett on his mind all night and even in his dreams. He had dreams of Gabby before but with Brett, it was different.

"How did you sleep?" Brett asked.

"Uh, good." Casey smiled.

"I'm gonna finish getting ready for work. Feel free to use the bathroom to take a shower. Towels and wash cloths are in the cabinet above the toilet and there is a spare toothbrush unopened in the top drawer of the sink." Brett said before leaving to go back to her bedroom to put on her work boots.

Casey went back to Cruz's old bedroom, grabbed his bag, and went into the bathroom. Brett came back into the living room and sat down. She wasn't really hungry and Casey was taking a shower. Her thoughts wondered to places it shouldn't have gone, but she couldn't help it. After Casey was finished, he got dressed and came out into the living room. He put his shoes on and then he and Brett headed to work. Foster saw Brett and Casey arriving together in their own cars but at the same time. Casey and Brett headed into the locker room where they put their things in their locker and then everyone headed to the morning meeting. While waiting for Boden to show up, Foster decided to ask Brett about Casey.

"So, what happened with you and Casey last night?" Foster asked quietly.

"Nothing." Brett said.

"Kidd said that Severide told Casey to find a place to stay because Kidd and Severide wanted to be alone." Foster said.

Brett gave Foster a knowing look.

"It's not like that. He stayed in Cruz's old room." Brett answered.

Foster knew better than to push the subject. Before Brett could say anything, Boden came in.

"Good morning. I have a few announcements..." Boden said but was interupted by the dispatcher.

"AMBULANCE 61. WELLNESS CHECK. 6284 GARFIELD SQUARE. Apartment 4B." the dispatcher said over the intercom.

Foster and Brett took off in a hurry. They arrived on scene and knocked on the door.

"Fire department, call out!" Brett yelled.

No answer.

"Fire department, call out!" Foster then yelled.

Still no answer. Brett and Foster then checked the door to see if it was unlocked, which it was. They opened the door and walked inside the apartment. As they looked around, they didn't see anyone. The house was empty. All of a sudden, gunshots were ringing throughout the apartment.

"61 to Main. Gunshots fired! There is a fire coming from the next floor. Send backup!" Brett yelled over the radio with a scream.

She and Foster managed to make it to a closet and hid out there. CPD arrived along with all of Firehouse 51.

"Brett, give me a status update!" Boden said over the radio.

"Chief, there's shots being fired throughout the building. Foster and I are inside a closet on in apartment 4B. There's a fire coming from the floor above us." Brett said in a calm but worried voice.

The calmness in Brett's voice worried Casey and Boden. Voight and the other Intelligence Unit members arrived on scene.

"Brett, stay calm. I'm sending Truck and Squad inside." Boden said.

Before Boden could send in Truck and Squad, Voight chimed in.

"Alright, I need men on the front and back of the building. Upton. Halstead. Take this side. Rojas and Atwater the other side. Ruzek, stay with me. Chief, we need your men to check on the fire and get as many victims out as possible while being on alert. If there is an active shooter, there's no telling what is going to happen." Voight said.

"Truck 81, get in there and access the situation. Squad, go in and rescue any victims trapped. Engine, be ready with the hoses when given the signal. First and foremost, get Foster and Brett out of there. They are one of our own and we need them to help with victims. Alright. Let's go! Let's go! Let's go!" Boden said.

"Kidd, you and Mouch take take the first two floors. Be careful and keep an eye out for an active shooter. Gallo, you and I will take the third and fourth floors. We all meet on the fifth floor. Got it?" Casey asked the others before he went in.

Everyone nodded and split up. Stella and Mouch cleared the first and second floor with no problem. Gallo and Casey cleared all of the third floor, but when they arrived on the fourth floor, the fire was spreading fast.

"Fire department, call out!" Casey yelled.

One by one, Gallo and Casey checked each and every apartment and once it was cleared, Casey yelled for Brett and Foster.

"Chief, tell Voight to have his guys stand down. There's a fire inside and it's spreading pretty fast." Casey yelled over the radio.

"Copy that." Boden said and then told Voight.

"Get away from the building. The shooter is still inside but there is a fire." Voight told his team over their radios.

The Intelligence Team ran back to where Voight was waiting.

"Brett! Foster!" Casey yelled.

"Casey!" Brett and Foster yelled in unison.

Casey and Gallo heard them.

"You guys ok?" Gallo yelled.

"Yeah but it's getting hard to see in here!" Brett yelled.

"Mouch, are you and Kidd done?" Casey asked over the radio.

"Copy that, Captain. Kidd and I are on our way to the fifth floor." Mouch said.

"Mouch, the fire has spread to the fourth floor. Brett and Foster are trapped." Casey relayed.

Mouch and Stella arrived on fourth floor.

"Chief, we need Squad! The fire has spread to the fourth floor and Brett and Foster are trapped inside the building!" Casey yelled over the radio.

"Copy that. Severide, Brett and Foster are trapped on the fourth floor. We need to get them out of there." Boden said.

"Copy that, Chief." Severide said.

Kelly gave orders to Capp, Tony, and the others on Squad. They somehow managed to get a ladder to the window of the apartment where Brett and Foster were. Herrmann and the rest of Engine were waiting on Casey's signal to spray the building. Brett and Foster were by the window, waiting for Squad. Severide reached them and Foster crawled out the window first, followed by Brett.

"Casey, all clear. Get out of there." Severide relayed over the radio.

"Copy that." Casey said and told the others to leave.

"Herrmann, all clear!" Casey said after he and the others arrived back near Truck 81.

Herrmann and the rest of Engine 51 put out the fire. Brett and Foster were being checked out by other paramedics. After the fire was put out, the shooting started up again.

"Everyone, take cover!" Boden yelled.

Casey's first instinct was to protect Brett.

"You ok?" Casey asked after running over towards Brett.

"Yeah. What about everyone else?" Brett asked.

"I don't know." Casey said.

"Take cover!" Upton yelled.

Brett, Foster, Stella, and Severide jumped into the back of Ambulance 61 and closed the doors. Casey jumped and locked the front doors and then sat down beside of Brett. The gunshots echoed throughout the neighborhood for nearly an hour. Boden and the others kept in contact through radio communication. After what seemed like forever, the gunshots stopped. The CPD Intelligence Unit finally caught the man who was firing the gun. After getting the all clear from Voight, Truck, Squad, and Engine stayed to clean up the scene. Brett and Foster went to Med as a precaution per Boden's orders. This had been a very eventful morning and they still had several hours to go.


	12. Just Breathe

**Hey everyone, sorry for the long delay on the update but my laptop crashed, so I had to go get a new one. I'm sorry if some of this chapter makes no sense. I'm not the best writer, but I try. Please leave any reviews or feedback about this story. I hope you all enjoy this chapter :)**

CHAPTER 12

Everyone was on edge after the call that they just came back from. Brett did what she always does when she's on edge, which is clean. She did some of the laundry that included the sheets and blankets from the bunk room as well as washing some of her uniform shirts and pants. She had to stay busy because her mind kept going back to being stuck in that apartment. As she finished a load of laundry, Casey startled her.

"Gotcha!" Casey joked as he scared Brett.

Brett jumped and nearly smacked Casey.

"Matthew Casey, I could kill you for scaring me like that." Brett giggled.

"What? Can't I have a little bit of fun?" Casey teased.

She gave him a knowing look and then smiled.

"After the morning that we have had, a little bit of fun sounds great right about now." Brett smiled.

"Casey, my office." Boden firmly said.

By the tone of Boden's voice, Casey knew that there was something wrong. Casey left to see what Boden wanted, while Brett folded the first load of laundry and took them to the bunk room.

"Shut the door." Boden instructed Casey.

Severide and Herrmann were already in Boden's office.

"I just got off the phone with headquarters. As of right now, Ambulance 61 is out of service for the rest of the day. They can return back to service tomorrow." Boden said.

"Chief, can they do that?" Casey asked.

"Unfortunately, they can. I'm not at liberty to discuss their reasoning, but after talking to Voight, another house had just been hit as well. Same thing. Ambulance got a call and they ended up in a shoot out. Luckily, there was no fire involved." Boden said.

Casey, Severide, and Herrmann all looked at each other and then looked at Boden.

"How is that possible if they have the suspect in custody? Did he have a partner?" Herrmann asked.

"Yeah and it looks like these guys are targeting our paramedics for some sick and twisted reason." Boden said.

"So is headquarters shutting down all paramedics?" Severide asked.

"No, just ours and the one other. We have private companies assisting us in this matter but headquarters is refusing to allow both houses to send out their paramedics until the second person is caught." Boden explained.

"Isn't that against procedure?" Severide questioned.

"Yes, but Voight thinks that the suspect's partner is a threat, so he and the Intelligence Unit are going undercover and have asked that headquarters allow them to use 61 and the other ambulance if there's a next call." Boden said.

"So, that's why they are taking 61 and the other one out of service the rest of the day." Casey said.

"Exactly and after the mess with the protesters, headquarters isn't taking any chances." Boden told the three men.

With that, Boden told the men that they could leave his office. Casey saw Brett in the laundry room taking out the last of the laundry.

"Hey, so I need to speak to everyone in the common room." Casey said.

"Ok." Brett answered.

After putting the laundry in the laundry basket, she went to the common room where everyone else was waiting.

"Listen up, Boden just informed myself, Severide, and Herrmann that 61 and one other ambulance from another house will be out of service the rest of the day due to the safety of the CFD's paramedics after today's incident. Apparently, the guy has a partner and that partner is still out there. Do not post this on social media. Headquarters is aware of the situation and were the ones to make this decision. From what we were told, Voight and the rest of Intelligence are gonna be splitting up and using both 61 and the other ambulance on the next call that either of house receives where the paramedics are needed."  
Casey said.

"So, Brett and Foster are on desk duty until next shift?" Mouch half joked.

"Pretty much." Casey replied.

After discussing what was going on, everyone went back to work. Foster went to do inventory and make sure the ambulance was stocked up, even though she had already done that when she and Brett returned to the house. Brett, on the other hand, finished doing what she did earlier and then went to take a nap in the bunk room. Brett tossed and turned. No matter how hard she tried to go to sleep, she couldn't. Casey noticed Brett pacing the bunk room and walked over.

"Hey, can't sleep?" Casey asked.

"No. Every time I try, all I can see is bullets flying towards me. That and the fact that I can't sleep from all of the noise." Brett replied.

"You know you can always go to my office and crash where it's quiet." he suggested.

"You don't mind?" she asked.

"No. Go ahead. I've got some paper work I have to finish up but other than that, it will be quiet." he replied.

She smiled and walked to his office where she laid on the bed. He walked in behind her and sat down at his desk. He left the door to his office open so that no one would get suspicious.

"Hey Casey, here's the report you requested." Severide said.

Casey took a look at the report while Severide noticed Brett was asleep.

"Hey, what's going on with Brett?" Severide whispered.

"She was having trouble sleeping. Kept seeing the gunshots being fired and she could hear everyone in the common room." Casey whispered as he explained what was going on.

"It's bad enough she lost Julie and that Scott moved back to Rockford with her half sister, now this. Poor girl can't catch a break." Severide said.

Casey stood up and walked outside of his office and closed the door.

"Brett's been through enough. Voight and his team better find the guy's partner because we have all been through enough,  
especially Brett." Casey said.

"We could all use a break after the year we've had." Severide replied.

"I hear ya." Casey chuckled.

Severide and Casey chatted for a bit before Stella motioned for Severide to come to her. Casey knew exactly what that meant and chuckled. He quietly opened the door to his office but was startled when he noticed Brett sitting on the bed looking at a picture on her phone.

"Hey, how did you sleep?" Casey asked.

"Fine, I guess. Hey, wanna see something?" Brett smiled.

"Sure, what's up?" he asked.

"So, my mom was going through some old photos and found this one." she smiled.

She showed him a picture of her dressed as an EMT when she was younger.

"What's so funny?" she asked.

"Nothing. It's just that you look so cute in this picture." he teased.

She blushed.

"I was six. Aren't all kids cute when they are young?" she giggled.

They laughed and then Boden yelled for them to come to his office. They walked to Boden's office and then closed the door behind them. Waiting in the office with them were Foster, Severide, and Herrmann.

"What's going on, Chief?" Brett asked.

"As you and Foster are well aware, Voight and his team are trying to catch this guy's partner and that 61 is out for the rest of the day. I just got off a conference with headquarters and Voight and we have all agreed that the next call for 61, Voight and his team will take over 61. These men are dangerous and we need to keep all of our paramedics safe right now and so, Voight is splitting his team up. Halstead and Upton will take over 61. Ruzek and Burgess will be taking over the house that got hit earlier. As for Voight, Atwater, and Rojas, Voight didn't say but something tells me that he's up to something. Casey, Severide, Herrmann, I need you both to be alert when out on calls. We don't know when and where this guy's partner is going to hit and we need to be prepared. Can you three start running drills with Truck, Squad, and Engine?  
I want to make sure everyone is prepared. Brett, Foster, I need you guys to stay here when we get called out." Boden said.

Boden continued to explain the reason behind everything and although they had all heard it earlier, Boden wanted to make sure that everyone knew what was going on again and to reassure Brett and Foster of their safety.

"Thanks, Chief." Foster said before she and Brett left the room.

"Chief, what are you not telling us?" Herrmann asked.

"Look, I didn't want to worry Brett and Foster, but Voight and his team think the guy's partner is a member of the CFD. They aren't sure yet, but that's what they are thinking." Boden said.

Fear and worry crept across everyone's face. They know that CFD is one big family and if one of our own is targeting us as a whole, then we need to see to it that justice is served and that the integrity of the CFD is not compromised." Boden said.

With that, Casey, Severide, and Herrmann left Boden's office just as Squad 3 got called out on a call. Casey went back to his office where Brett left him a note.

"Thanks for letting me use the bed. - Brett." the note said.

Casey smiled and went back to working on paperwork. Squad 3 came back from their call after two hours and it was business as usual around the house. Several hours later, Casey walked over to the bunk room where Brett was reading one of her many books.

"Hey, what are you doing in here?" she questioned.

"Checking on you. I checked on Foster and she's driving Ritter and Gallo crazy." he chuckled.

"Let me guess, she's trying to teach them how to cook something that they have no idea how to cook." she giggled.

"Yeah, pretty much." he smiled.

They sat in awkward silence for about a minute until Casey spoke up.

"So, do you have any plans for after shift?" he asked.

"Uh, no. Why?" she asked.

"You trust me?" he asked.

"Of course." she replied.

"Meet me at the pier after shift." he said with a sly smile.

"Uh, ok...why?" she asked.

"Do you trust me?" he asked.

"Yeah." she replied.

"Well, trust me on this. Meet me down at the pier after shift." he smiled.

Before she could reply, Casey left the bunk room. Questions ran through her mind. Why did he want her to meet him by the pier? What was he up too? Why was she having feelings for him when he literally just got divorced by someone she thought of as her best friend? Why did Julie have to die? All of these questions and thoughts ran through her mind. Several hours passed by and their shift was almost over. The day seemed to drag after the morning that they had but just when things seemed to be calm, chaos broke out. While out on a call with Squad, Truck, and Engine, Halstead and Upton found the suspect's partner. Boden was on the call as well.

"Chief, Halstead and Upton caught the guy's partner." Severide said over the radio.

"Good. Are the victim's out of the house?" Boden asked over the radio.

"Copy that, Chief." Severide said.

"Chief, we are coming out. Have Engine be ready on stand by with the hose." Casey called out over the radio.

"Herrmann, ready with the hose on my order!" Boden yelled at Herrmann.

"Copy that, Chief!" Herrmann replied.

Herrmann got his team and waited for the orders. Meanwhile, Foster and Brett were back at the house waiting on word on what's going on.

"Girl, relax. I'm sure they have everything under control." Foster told Brett.

"Easy for you to say." Brett said with a slight chuckle.

Foster and Brett went to the locker room and changed clothes. Shift was over but no one was back yet. Just as they were coming out of the locker room, everyone from Truck, Squad, and Engine came in. Brett waited until she saw Casey before leaving. She tried to sneak out but he caught her.

"Hey, don't forget the pier." he quietly reminded her.

She smiled and nodded. She left and headed to her car. Her mind was filled with thoughts of what Casey could possibly have in store for her. She got into her car, started it, and drove to the pier. Casey, with a smile on his face, hurried up and changed clothes and then left. Twenty minutes later, Casey was at the pier where Brett was waiting.

"Hey, sorry I'm late. You know how Severide gets when he wants to smoke a cigar." Casey chuckled.

"It's ok. So, uh, why did you want me to meet you here?" Brett asked.

"Tell me what you see and feel here." Casey said.

"I see a pier with a gorgeous view and lots of people." Brett sighed.

"What else?" he asked.

She took a deep breath and then spoke.

"I see a Ferris wheel and the lake." she said.

He walked over behind her and stood there.

"Close your eyes." he whispered.

His whisper sent chills down her back, but in a good way. She closed her eyes and then he stepped in front of her.

"Alright, now take a deep breath and tell me what you feel. It can be how you feel or it could be the wind." he said.

She took another deep breath, kept her eyes closed, and did as he said.

"I feel the wind blowing in my hair. I can smell the air. It smells like the beach. It's peaceful and relaxing. For the first time in months, I feel relaxed." she smiled.

She opened her eyes and saw how close he was standing in front of her.

"How did that make you feel?" he asked with a sly grin.

"Relaxed." she smiled.

He gave her a hug and then pulled away.

"Now you have something good to dream about when you go home and get some sleep." he said.

She smiled and gave him a hug.

"Matthew Casey, you are truly one of a kind and amazing." she said as she pulled out of the hug.

They stood close to each other for a few minutes before heading to their vehicles.

"Are you going to Molly's later?" he asked.

"I might. I know right now, I need sleep." she giggled.

He smiled at her before speaking.

"If you go to Molly's, let me know and I'll pick you up if you want." he said.

"I will." she replied.

They talked as they walked to their vehicles.

"I'll let you know if I decide to go tonight." she smiled as she got into her car.

She closed her door and rolled down the window after starting her car.

"Thanks for this. I really needed it." she smiled.

"Anytime." he replied with a smile.

Brett put her car in drive and drove away. Casey stood there for a moment, watching Brett drive away. He smiled and then walked to his truck, got in, and after starting it, he drove away. Seeing the way she smiled at him today made his heart skip a bit. He hadn't felt this way in a really long time. After arriving back at Kelly's apartment, he went to his room and crashed a bit. Back at Brett's place, she did the same thing.


	13. Breaking The News

**Hey everyone, here is the next chapter! Please leave a review and let me know what you all think! **

CHAPTER 13

After getting a few hours of sleep, Casey woke up and got dressed for a night out. Deep down, he hoped that Brett would be at Molly's. He loved being around her and loved how she would get dressed up just for a night out at Molly's. He smiled and shook his head with a slight chuckle.

"Matt, what are you doing?" he told himself.

He changed into a pair of dark navy blue jeans and a black dress shirt. Although the weather was starting to warm up, it was still a bit cold out. After changing his clothes, he splashed a little bit of cologne on, put his shoes on, grabbed his wallet and keys, and left. Back at Brett's apartment, Foster had just left to go to Molly's. Brett was getting ready for a night out after a crazy and unforgettable shift. She changed into a pair of dark navy jeans and a black lacy dress shirt. She put on some makeup, put her black flat shoes on, grabbed her purse, and left.

"Hey, I was beginning to wonder if you were gonna show up or not. When Stella and I got home, we yelled for you for dinner but you were passed out cold." Severide said.

"Yeah, I was tired." Casey replied.

The tone in his voice was enough to warn Severide not to push the subject. Casey wasn't sure if Brett was coming or not, but deep down, he hoped she would. Foster told Stella, Severide, and Casey that she had been accepted back into med school but Brett didn't know.

"So, when do you plan on telling Brett?" Casey asked.

Foster paused.

"Uh..." Foster said.

"Look, I'm not trying to give you grief over this, but she's your partner and she has a right to know that you had a meeting with the school and got accepted into the program." Casey stated.

"I know but here's the thing. If I go back to med school, I'll have to move out and stay in the dorms. I don't know how she's gonna take the news. Cruz moved out, she lost Julie, then Scott and the baby moved back to Rockford, I mean, she's been through enough already." Foster said.

"You know, she's stronger than you think." Casey said.

"I know. I just I don't know how I'm gonna break the news to her." Foster said.

"Take a deep breath and just tell her. It's gonna hurt worse coming from someone else and not you." Casey said.

"You're right. I'll tell her at home." Foster smiled.

Foster went over to a table where some of her friends were. As Casey, Severide, and Stella continued to chat, Brett finally showed up.

"Sorry I'm late, I had to catch a cab." Brett said.

"What happened to your car?" Casey asked.

"It wouldn't start. I had one of my neighbors try to jump it but nothing worked. They checked the battery and it's fine. I've gotta call a tow truck in the morning and see if they can't tow it to a garage." Brett sighed.

"Don't do that. I'll swing by in the morning and take a look at it. Could be that the battery became undone somehow or something simple." Casey said.

"Thanks, Casey." Brett smiled.

"I'm buying. What are you having?" Casey asked with a sly grin.

Brett smiled.

"Um, Amaretto Sour." Brett told Stella.

Stella gave her a look.

"I'm trying something new." Brett told Stella.

Stella made the drink and gave it to Brett.

"Hey, so uh, you, me, and Foster need to have a girl's night soon." Stella said.

"Absolutely." Brett smiled.

Stella was about to say something but a customer got her attention. Casey and Brett chatted for about an hour before Foster came over to talk to Brett. She dreaded the conversation but it needed to be had.

"Hey, can I talk to you for a minute?" Foster asked Brett.

"Sure." Brett replied.

Brett got up and placed her purse on the bar. She knew Casey wouldn't let anyone grab her purse. When she walked away from the bar, Casey immediately grabbed the purse and told Stella to put it behind the bar for safe keeping. Only Herrmann, Mouch, and Stella were allowed behind the bar. Foster and Brett were in the hallway where the restrooms were.

"So, you're moving out?" Brett asked after Foster told her the news.

"Yeah. So, school starts in June. It's a new accelerated program and since I was nearly finished with med school, they want me to start in two weeks." Foster explained.

Brett was shocked, hurt, angry, but most of all she was surprised. Foster talked about how she wanted to go back to med school but couldn't and after Will Halstead made the call for her, she couldn't turn down the opportunity for a second chance.

"Oh." Brett mustered.

Foster could tell by the small words and small sentences that Brett felt betrayed but at the same time, she knew that Brett understood.

"I get it and I'm happy for you." Brett smiled.

Brett gave her friend a hug and smile and then returned to the bar. Stella saw Brett and handed Brett's purse back to her.

"Thanks." Brett half smiled.

Stella smiled and got back to work as Molly's was busier than usual, mainly because the college students were finishing up midterms and going on Spring Break. Brett tinkered with her drink before pushing it away.

"You know, I'm not in the mood for this. I think I'm just gonna home." Brett said as grabbed her purse and stood up from her seat.

As she got ready to leave, Casey grabbed her hand.

"Don't leave yet." he smiled and then released her hand.

He got up, paid for the drinks that he and Brett had, and then walked out with Brett.

"Let me take you home." he smiled.

She smiled at him and knew better than to argue with him.

"Ok." she said.

Casey unlocked the passenger door and opened it for Brett to get in.

"While thank you, sir." she joked.

"You're welcome, your Highness." he joked back.

They chuckled and then Casey walked over to his door, unlocked it, and then got in. He started the truck and put it in drive and drove Brett to her place.

"You alright? Ever since Foster talked to you, you have been kind of quiet." he said.

"I don't wanna talk about it." she said.

Casey didn't wanna push the subject but knew that Foster had just told Brett the news. It was a very quiet ride and Casey was a bit worried about Brett. She had been through so much and now, another one of her so called best friends is leaving her yet again. First, Gabby takes off to Puerto Rico without saying so much as a goodbye to her. Second, Otis dies. Third, Cruz gets married and leaves, and now Foster is moving out. It's bad enough that she lost a friend to a fire that never should have happened and then she lost her biological mom, but now, she feels abandoned. As they pulled into the parking lot of the apartment building where Brett lives, Brett let out a sigh. Casey parked the truck and then turned to look at her.

"Do you want any company?" he asked.

She looked at him with a half smile.

"Sure. I haven't had dinner yet." she giggled.

"I can always order a pizza." he said.

"Sounds good." she smiled.

They got out of the truck and walked up to the apartment. Once inside the apartment, Brett closed the door. Her cell phone rang with a text message from Foster.

"WON'T BE HOME TONIGHT. - FOSTER." the text message read.

"Looks like Foster won't be home tonight." she sighed.

Before Casey could reply to what she said, he also received a text message.

"DON'T COME HOME TONIGHT...STELLA'S ORDERS. LOL. - SEVERIDE." the text message read.

"Well, looks like Severide doesn't want me to come home." Casey said.

"Join the party. I'm gonna get a beer. You want one?" she asked.

Brett was in the mood to get drunk and nothing was going to change her mind.

"Sure. You get the beer and I'll order the pizza." he said.

As Brett grabbed the beer, Casey placed an order for two pizzas.

"So, the pizzas will be here in about thirty minutes." he said.

"Good. In the meantime, here's your beer." she smiled.

"You know, I love rooming with Severide, but I spend more time away from his place than I should." he chuckled.

Brett let out a big laugh.

"Well, I'm losing yet another roommate. First Otis, then Cruz, and now Foster. Am I really that bad of a roommate?" she asked rhetorically.

"If you are, then so am I. At least twice a week, Severide and Stella want some alone time and I end up having to go to Herrmann's house or some hotel room." he chuckled.

They both took a sip of their beer and continued to talk until the pizza arrived. After paying for the pizza, Casey brought it over to the living room and placed it on the table. Brett grabbed the paper towels and some paper plates and then walked over to the living room and placed it beside the pizza.

"You want another beer before I sit down?" she asked.

"Uh, sure." he replied.

She went to the fridge and got another beer for her and Casey along with two bottled waters and then went back to the living room. She sat down beside of Casey and handed placed the drinks on the table. They grabbed a plate and a piece of pizza and then began to eat and talk a bit.

"So, what are you doing tomorrow on your day off?" he asked.

"Oh, Mr. Larson called and asked me if I could come over and help him with his house." she said with a smile.

Casey chuckled a bit.

"Funny. He asked me if I could help fix the rest of the roof. You know his house is almost completely fixed after the fire." he said.

Brett giggled.

"He is one of the sweetest people that I have ever met. You know, he told me that ever since his wife passed away, he feels alone. He said that his wife always made Sunday dinner after church." she said.

"I know." he replied.

They talked for several hours and even watched a movie on TV that they both fell asleep to. The next morning, they both woke up around the same time.

"What time is it?" Casey asked as he looked around and realized that Brett was beside of him.

"I don't know." Brett yawned as she realized Casey was still at Brett's house.

Casey yawned.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to stay the night. I must have fallen asleep while watching the movie." Casey said.

Brett giggled.

"It's ok. Plus, Foster isn't here and it's not like we did anything wrong." Brett said.

She checked the time on the clock on the wall in the kitchen.

"It's only 8:00. What time do you have to be at Mr. Larson's?" she asked.

"He told me noon." he said.

"Same." she said.

He stood up and stretched.

"I'm gonna head back home. I'm gonna get a shower and change clothes before going to Mr. Larson's." he said.

She stood up in front of him. They walked over to the door.

"Thanks for last night." she smiled.

"Anytime." he smiled back.

He gave her a hug and then walked out the door. He smiled back at her before closing the door. She walked over to the door and locked it before going into her bedroom. She and Casey were getting close and she was having mixed feelings about him.  
She wasn't sure if she was falling in love with him, developing deeper feelings that go beyond friendship, or what was going on, but she knew that Casey was the only one in her life who could relate to her more than anyone else.


	14. Helping Mr Larson

**Hey everyone, here is the next chapter. I hope you all are enjoying this story and I hope you will all continue to leave reviews and feedback for me :) It may be a while before I post the next chapter as I have a lot of things going on, but I will post as soon as I can. In the meantime, enjoy this chapter :)**

CHAPTER 14

After getting a shower and changing clothes at Severide's place, Casey went for a short drive. The scent of Brett's perfume filled his mind. It was only 10:30 a.m. and he still had a little bit of free time before going to Mr. Larson's house. Back at Brett's apartment, she had already taken a shower and gotten ready for the day. Foster was still gone and so she decided to leave and go get breakfast at one of the local restaurants. As she pulled into the restaurant's parking lot, she noticed Casey's truck in the parking lot. She found a parking spot a few ways down, parked the car, and then headed inside the restaurant. She sat down at one of the tables, not realizing that Casey was at the other end of the restaurant. As Casey's waitress brought him his food, he half smiled at her and then as he took a bite of food, he saw Brett across the restaurant looking at a menu. He decided to text her.

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE? - CASEY." the text said.

Brett read the text and giggled. She sent one back.

"WHERE ARE YOU? - BRETT." the text said.

Casey read the text and chuckled.

"LOOK OVER TO THE OTHER SIDE. - CASEY." the text said.

She read the text message and looked over to the other side of the restaurant where she saw Casey sitting. She already knew he was over there but didn't wanna say anything. She got up from her table and walked over to where Casey was sitting.

"What are you doing here?" he asked with a sly grin.

"I was planning on grabbing a bite to eat before going to Mr. Larson's house." she joked.

He chuckled.

"Guess we both had the same idea." he said.

She smiled. She placed her order with the waitress and then talked with Casey for a bit. About twenty minutes later, the waitress brought Brett's pancakes out to her. She poured the syrup on her pancakes and started to eat. Casey was already halfway finished eating his breakfast. A few minutes later, both Brett and Casey paid for their food and then headed to Mr. Larson's house in their cars. Mr. Larson was eagerly awaiting their arrival and greeted them with a warm smile when they arrived.

"Sylvie! Matt! Thank you both for coming." Mr. Larson said with a warm greeting and smile.

"Anytime, Mr. Larson." Casey said.

They all stepped inside the house where Dusty immediately took to Brett.

"That cat has a bond with you." Mr. Larson noticed.

"I know." Brett softly said.

"Mr. Larson, I'm going to try and get the rest of the roof fixed today." Casey said.

"Thank you, Matt." Mr. Larson said.

"So, what can I do to help?" Brett asked.

"I've got some dishes that need to be washed, I'm washing laundry right now, and I need to sweep and mop the kitchen." Mr. Larson said.

"Don't you worry about that. I'll take care of it." Brett said with a smile.

Mr. Larson sat down on the couch in the living room and watched TV while Brett cleaned and Casey finished fixing the roof and other things upstairs. A few hours went by and Casey had finally finished the roof. He started repairing the walls and other things in the upstairs hallway while Brett had just finished the dishes and sweeping the floors. She checked on the laundry in the laundry room and then mopped the kitchen floor. While waiting for the floor to dry, she sat the mop up by the entrance of the kitchen and then sat down on the couch beside of Mr. Larson.

"Thank you, Sylvie." Mr. Larson smiled.

"No problem. Have you had anything to eat today?" Brett asked.

"Not yet. I was going to order some pizza." Mr. Larson said.

"What about dinner for tomorrow?" Brett asked.

"I guess I'll just order something." Mr. Larson answered.

"Do you have any groceries?" Brett asked.

"Uh, no. I haven't gotten around to doing that yet." Mr. Larson said.

"I'll tell you what. I'm gonna go get you some groceries. I'll let Matt know so that he can stay here with you until I get back." Brett said.

"Hey Matt!" Brett yelled.

Casey heard her and immediately stopped what he was doing to see what she wanted.

"Hey, I'm gonna go get some groceries for Mr. Larson. Can you stay here until I get back?" Brett asked.

"Yeah, no problem. I'm actually gonna take a break." Casey said as he walked down the stairs.

Mr. Larson gave Brett some money for groceries and she left. Casey sat down on the couch beside of Mr. Larson.

"So, the roof is finished. I'm working on the doors upstairs." Casey said.

"Thank you, Matt." Mr. Larson said.

"It's no trouble at all." Casey said.

Mr. Larson pulled out his wallet and gave Casey a $100 bill.

"I want you to have this and take that beautiful woman, Sylvie, out on a date." Mr. Larson insisted.

"I can't take your money." Casey said.

"Please, take it. Treat yourself and Sylvie to a nice dinner tonight on me." Mr. Larson insisted again.

Casey wasn't going to argue with Mr. Larson. Casey smiled and took the money and chuckled a bit. Mr. Larson started telling Casey stories about Gail, his wife that had passed away due to the fire in this house and Casey could see how much Mr. Larson really loved his wife. Casey had thought he felt that way with Gabby but when Gabby decided to leave with or without him, he knew that they just were headed on two different paths. There was also the fact that he knew that Gabby's mind was made up and no amount of begging and pleading would ever change her mind. Casey told Mr. Larson about Gabby, leaving out the fact that he and Gabby were once married and now divorced.

"So, she left you to go to Puerto Rico?" Mr. Larson questioned.

"Yeah. We had some major problems and although we tried to work through it, I don't think her heart was there. I wanted it to work out, but she needed time away and we chose to end it for good. Sylvie's gotten me through the hardest part of my ex leaving." Casey explained.

"You know, sometimes you find your soulmate after you go through your darkest time." Mr. Larson told Casey.

Casey took what Mr. Larson said to heart. Maybe Mr. Larson was right and that his soulmate was still out there somewhere. Could it be that it was Brett and he didn't know it? Could it be that it was Gabby but she needed time to figure out what she wanted? One thing was certain, Brett had always been there for him whenever he and Gabby would fight and she was the one who was there for him when Gabby abandoned him. Mr. Larson and Casey talked for a while until Brett came back with a car full of groceries. Casey helped her bring in the groceries and then then headed back upstairs to try and get as much as he could finished for the day.

"Here's your change." Brett smiled as she handed Mr. Larson the rest of the money.

Brett started to put the groceries away and after she was finished, she ordered pizza for Mr. Larson. Casey decided to stop for the evening as it was getting late and he and Brett had to work the next day. Thirty minutes later, the pizza arrived and Brett paid for it.

"Your pizza is here, Mr. Larson. Matt and I have to go because we have an early shift tomorrow." Brett kindly said.

"Oh, alright." Mr. Larson said as they stepped out the door.

"Don't be a stranger, Sylvie. Come back anytime. Matt, thank you so much for all of your help." Mr. Larson said.

"It's no trouble. I'll be back over sometime this week or next week to finish up what I can." Casey said.

"It's not a problem at all. I love to help." Brett said.

"You both be careful going home." Mr. Larson said.

They all said their goodbyes and Mr. Larson closed his door. Brett and Casey walked to their vehicles and Casey stopped Brett for a minute.

"Hey, you hungry?" Casey asked.

"Yeah. Why?" Brett asked.

"Why don't you go home and I'll follow you. We can ride together to save gas." he smiled.

"Alright. I'll meet you there." she smiled back.

They both got into their vehicles and drove to Brett's apartment. Several minutes later, both pulled into the parking lot of Brett's apartment. She parked her car, turned it off, grabbed her purse, and got into Casey's truck.

"So, before I pull out of this parking lot, what are you in the mood for?" Casey asked.

"I don't know." Brett said.

"Well, we could always order in." he chuckled.

"Works for me. Foster said she was gonna be out again." she said.

They got out of the truck and headed up to Brett's apartment.

"We can order pizza, Chinese..." Casey said as he closed the door behind him.

"Or...I can make us something." Brett said.

"What did you have in mind?" he asked.

"Let's see...I can make some tacos, hamburgers, hot dogs, or I can get two plates out and warm some chicken wings up in the microwave." she giggled.

"Whatever you want to do, works for me." he said.

She grabbed two plates and put some chicken wings on them. One at a time, she placed the plates in the microwave to warm up the food. After the first plate of food was finished, she placed it on the kitchen island in front of Casey and then placed the second plate of food in the microwave. When it was finished, she placed the plate on the kitchen island, grabbed two Sprites from the fridge, grabbed two forks, and then sat down beside of Casey. They talked about Mr. Larson, work, and other things. Brett and Casey were leaning on each other more and more but she had a feeling that things were only going to worse before they get better, considering the most recent events from Gabby's impromptu visit all the way to her birth mother's death.


	15. Finding New Roommates

**Hey everyone, thank you all for the reviews. I hope you all are enjoying the story. Please continue to leave feedback and reviews and as always, enjoy this chapter :)**

CHAPTER 15

A few weeks later at work, it was business as usual. Call after call throughout the day. Brett had been distant towards Foster ever since Foster said that she was going back to med school. Foster felt bad that she would be moving out of the apartment that she and Brett shared but this was a second chance for her to become a doctor.

"Hey, can we talk?" Foster asked Brett.

"Sure." Brett replied.

"Look, I know things haven't been the same since I told you that I'm going back to med school, but Brett, this is a second chance for me to become a doctor." Foster explained.

"You don't get it, do you?" Brett told Foster.

"What do you mean?" Foster asked.

"If I have to explain it, then you really don't get it. I've got paperwork to do." Brett said as she left the bunk room.

Foster stood in the bunk room looking defeated.

"Hey, what's going on?" Casey asked Foster.

"Brett is mad that I'm going back to med school." Foster said.

Casey gave her a look before speaking.

"Listen, you have to understand something. Gabby, my ex and Brett's former partner, left without so much as a goodbye. Then Gabby came back after months of no contact, only to leave again. It's possible that Brett feels betrayed that yet another partner is abandoning her. Mills, Gabby, Chili, Borelli, they all left her in some way or another. There's also the fact that Julie just died and her biological sister and her stepfather moved back to Rockford. It's a lot for her right now and I don't want to sound mean, but you talking about living in the dorms and finally experiencing med school the way you want doesn't exactly help the way she might feel." Casey explained.

Foster stopped to think about what Casey had just said.

"Then there is the fact that Otis died and Cruz moved out right before he got married to Chloe." Foster said.

"Yeah. Look, right now, it's probably best if you don't talk about med school in front of her and if you do, maybe it's possible that in time, she'll come around." Casey said.

"Thanks, Captain." Foster said.

"No problem." Casey said as he headed to his office.

Foster took what Casey said to heart. She didn't realize that Brett had been through so many partners who just left her either all of a sudden or for other reasons. Foster went back to doing her thing. Brett was doing inventory for 61, trying to keep busy. Foster would be moving out of the apartment in a few days to move into the dorms at med school and Brett was struggling to figure out how she was going to pay her rent and her bills. Stress was taking a toll on her. She debated on taking some time off but with Foster moving out in a few days, Brett needed as much overtime as she could take to make up the difference in rent. Looking for two new roommates weren't going to be easy, especially since no one can replace Otis and Cruz.

"Hey Brett, do you have those reports from last shift?" Boden asked.

"Uh, yeah. I thought I turned it in last shift. I'll send it to you right away." Brett replied.

Boden gave her a small nod and headed towards his office. Brett finished inventory and then sent the report from last shift to Boden. She sat in the back of the ambulance working on paperwork from the previous calls that they had been on. Squad 3 and Truck 81 were out on a call together. Brett just wanted to hide from Foster and everyone else for the rest of shift. Next shift would be Foster's last shift before starting med school. About an hour or so later, Squad 3 and Truck 81 returned from the call they were on. As Casey headed towards his office, he spotted Foster in deep thought.

"Hey, how are you?" Casey asked Foster.

"As good as I can be. Brett is still mad at me." Foster said.

"She's not mad. She's just hurt. There's a difference." Casey said.

"Casey, I don't know what to do." Foster said.

"Just give her space. Don't mention anything about med school or moving out. Let her come to you. I know that she has a lot going on but give her until the end of shift. She'll come around but you can't push her." Casey said.

"Thanks." Foster said.

"Don't mention it. Speaking of Brett, where is she?" Casey asked.

"I don't know. Last I saw her, she was in the common room." Foster said.

Casey thanked her and then left. He looked everywhere for her and couldn't find her. He decided to text her.

"WHERE ARE YOU? - CASEY." the text said.

"HIDING. - BRETT." she replied back.

"WHERE?" Casey texted.

"SOMEWHERE." Brett texted back.

"HAHA FUNNY." Casey texted.

"61." Brett replied.

Casey took that and headed to the apparatus floor where he went to the ambulance. He looked in the front seat and then went to the back and opened the door.

"Nice hiding place. Why are you hiding here?" Casey asked.

"I'm not hiding. I'm just thinking." Brett half smiled.

Casey noticed the way Brett was acting was out of character.

"Hey, does this have something to do with Foster?" Casey asked.

"Uh, no. No, it's not that." Brett said.

Casey gave her a look.

"Then what is it?" Casey asked.

"I've gotta advertise for new roommates. I can make the rent alone for about a month or two but after that, I can't. I'm just trying to figure out what to do since Joe and Chloe got married and he moved out and with Foster going to med school and moving out, I'm just trying to figure some things out." Brett explained.

Casey didn't realize that Brett was under pressure about everything.

"Deep breath." Casey said.

Brett took a deep breath and then released her breath.

"How is it that you always manage to make me feel better?" Brett asked.

"I don't know." Casey chuckled.

Casey and Brett got out of the ambulance and as they walked in, Truck 81 got a call.

"So much for a break." Casey chuckled before heading to Truck 81.

Casey and the rest of Truck 81 left to go on their call and Brett headed inside, where she saw Foster.

"Hey, you got a minute?" Brett asked.

Although Foster was happy that Brett wanted to talk, she still was concerned about Brett.

"Sure." Foster said.

"So, the reason I've been distant with you is in part due to you going to med school but also because I am currently trying to figure out how to pay rent since both you and Cruz won't be there. I'm looking for new roommates but I'm also looking for a new place to live because I can't afford the apartment on my own." Brett explained.

"I didn't even realize that you had a lot to deal with. I shouldn't have waited so long to tell you about med school and I should have tried to help you find a new roommate. I'm sorry I haven't been a friend to you lately." Foster said.

"That's just it. You have been a friend to me. I guess I decided to push you away because Gabby left without so much as a goodbye and then randomly showed up out of the blue and left again without a goodbye. There's also the fact that Otis died and Joe and Chloe got married. Then, Julie died and with everything going on, I just felt overwhelmed." Brett said.

"Girl, you know Stella and I are always here for you. I may be gone to med school, but I am only a phone call and visit away. You need me, just call." Foster said.

"Thanks." Brett chuckled.

"AMBULANCE 61. POSSIBLE CARDIAC ARREST. 6254 CLARK STREET." the dispatcher said over the intercom.

"Let's go!" Brett yelled.

Foster followed behind her. After she and Foster were in the ambulance and started to pull out to go to their call, Truck 81 were pulling back in. About an hour or so after being on the call, Brett and Foster finally managed to make it back. Shift was finally over and all Brett wanted to do was soak in the bathtub.

"Hey, I won't be home tonight. My parents are wanting to get together before I go back to med school and I'm gonna stay with them." Foster said.

"Alright. That's fine. I'm probably just gonna go home and soak in the bathtub. Tomorrow night, girls night with me and Stella?" Brett asked.

"You got it." Foster smiled.

Foster and Brett were in the locker room and after changing clothes, Foster left. Stella came in and changed clothes and then left with Severide. One by one, everyone was leaving the locker room to go home. Brett was taking a shower when Casey came into the locker room. He had already changed clothes and heard the shower running. He saw what looked like Brett's clothes sitting on the bench by her locker and smiled. That meant that Brett was the one taking a shower. He heard the water stop running and went into the men's restroom in the locker room. Brett came out with her towel wrapped around her, grabbed her clothes, and then went into the women's restroom area of the locker room and changed clothes. Casey quickly made his exit from the locker room and when he thought it was clear, he came back into the locker room. He had actually forgot his duffel bag but he also just wanted an excuse to see Brett.

"Hey, I thought you left already." Brett said with a smile.

"I did and then I realized I forgot my bag." Casey chuckled.

"How long did it take you to realize that?" she joked.

"About the time I got in my truck and leave." he chuckled.

He noticed she was almost ready to leave.

"Got any plans for tonight?" he asked.

"Not really. I was just gonna go home and soak in the bathtub full of warm water." she smiled.

"Any luck on finding a new roommate?" he asked.

"Not unless you have someone in mind." she said.

"I'll keep my eyes open." he said with a smile.

He grabbed his bag and left. She checked and made sure she had everything and then closed her locker door. She headed out to her car, where she noticed that one of her tires was flat. Upon further inspection, it appeared that someone had slashed all of them.

"No, no, no, no, no, no. This can't be happening." Brett panicked.

She started to freak out a bit before calling someone.

"Hey, it's me. Is there any way that you can come get me from 51? Someone slashed my tires." Brett said over the phone.

"Are you ok?" the voice asked.

"Yeah." Brett answered in frustration.

"I'll be there in about twenty minutes." the voice said.

Brett hung up the phone and as she began to unlock the door to her car, noticed that the driver side window was busted and that someone had ransacked her car. While waiting on the person she called to show up, she made another call. She called the Chicago Police Department and spoke with Desk Sergeant Trudy Platt, Mouch's wife.

"Hey Trudy, it's Sylvie. Someone broke into my car and slashed the tires. The driver side window is completely shattered and I'm afraid to touch anything." Brett said.

"I'm gonna tell Voight. This might be in connection with one of the cases that they are working on. Whatever you do, do not touch anything." Trudy said.

Brett and Trudy said their goodbyes and hung up the phone. Brett paced around until she saw a familiar truck appear. Casey got out of the truck and greeted Brett. He saw her car and the look on her face. Brett informed Casey about calling CPD and it didn't take long for Voight and Burgess to show up.


	16. Unplanned Visit

**Hey everyone, thank you all for the reviews! I really do appreciate it. I'm having Chicago Fire withdrawal since this whole COVID-19 started and shut down production of a lot of shows. I hope that they will start filming soon with precautions. Anyways, I am nearly finished with this story and I hope to finish one of my other stories, If You Ask Me Too, real soon. Please feel free to leave reviews on my stories and I hope you enjoy this chapter :) **

CHAPTER 16

Casey saw Voight and Burgess approach them.

"Brett, what happened?" Voight asked.

"I don't know. I was walking to my car and noticed that one of my tires was flat and then as I got closer, I noticed a gash in each tire. I went to open the driver side door to my car and noticed that my window was completely shattered. That's when I called Trudy." Brett said.

Voight looked at the car with Burgess.

"Slashed tires. Broken window. You thinking what I'm thinking?" Voight asked Burgess.

"It's the same M.O...Voight, come check this out." Burgess said as she noticed blood on the ground.

"Guess the perp wasn't so smart." Voight said.

"What's going on?" Casey asked.

"Looks like our perp left some blood behind." Voight said.

Burgess called for the Crime Scene Unit to arrive to collect evidence.

"Brett, was there anything in the car with your address on it?" Voight asked.

"Uh, I don't think so. I keep my car insurance in my purse with me at all times, along with my license." Brett said.

"Casey, did you notice anyone suspicious hanging out around Brett's car when you left?" Burgess asked.

Casey stopped to think for a minute.

"Now that you mention it, yeah. I saw two men with brown hoodies. When they saw me, they yelled 'Let's go!' and took off running. I didn't think anything of it. I checked her car but didn't see anything wrong with it and then I left." Casey said.

"I have to ask you, Casey, was these the men that you saw?" Voight said as he showed Casey a picture.

Casey looked at the picture carefully.

"Yeah, that's them. That's the men I saw." Casey said.

Burgess looked at Voight.

"These men are going around targeting young women about your age, Brett. These guys are in a gang and their initiation is to stalk women, vandalize their car, and rape them. Since they vandalized your car, chances are they know where you live. Is there anywhere you can go or stay with?" Burgess asked.

Brett shook her head.

"Uh, no. My family is back in Fowlerton, Foster is out with her parents tonight and I..." Brett trailed off before Casey stepped in.

"I'll stay with her tonight since Foster is out for the night." Casey said.

"Good idea. These guys are very dangerous. This gang is not only known for raping women but also starting gun wars. We think that this gang is a part of a mob but we aren't sure yet. The gang leader is notorious for recruiting convicted criminals and having them stalk women, vandalize their cars, and then rape them. We've been tracking this gang for nearly a month and there has been no activity until now. Do you work tomorrow?" Voight asked.

"No, we're off." Brett said.

"My advice is to have someone stay with you or get a hotel room until we get these guys. They've already kidnapped two people and killed three people. We will put a protective detail on your apartment. We are gonna get this towed and put in our garage for evidence. Brett, take care of yourself. We'll see you guys later." Voight said.

Voight and Burgess left. Brett turned to Casey and threw her hands up.

"I can't catch a break. It's like the universe has it out for me." Brett complained.

"Deep breath." Casey chuckled.

Brett took a deep breath. Why was everything happening to her? What did she do to deserve all of this bad luck? She felt like she was losing a grip on everything that was near and dear to her.

"Better?" Casey asked.

"A little. I feel like I can't catch a break, Matt. It's almost like I'm losing my mind." Brett said.

"I know. I have a crazy idea." Casey said.

"What?" Brett replied.

"Why don't I just move in with you and take one of the spare rooms in your apartment?" Casey asked.

"You wanna move in with me? What's wrong with Severide's place?" Brett giggled.

"Don't get me wrong, I like staying at Severide's but dang, I don't want to have to hear him and Stella at all hours of the night if you know what I mean." Casey chuckled.

Brett let out a big laugh. She knew exactly what Casey meant.

"Which room do you want?" she smiled.

"I'll take Cruz's old room. Now, I just have to find a way to break the news to Severide." he laughed.

"We can go together since I have no car right now." Brett suggested.

"Alright." Casey said as he and Brett got into his truck and headed to Severide's place.

About twenty minutes later, both of them arrived at Severide's place.

"Brett? What are you doing here?" Stella asked, surprised to see her best friend at her place.

"Someone damaged my car and long story short, Voight and Burgess are looking into it. Could be related to a case they are working on." Brett said.

"Are you ok?" Stella asked.

"Yeah." Brett said.

Severide walked out into the main area where Stella, Brett, and Casey were.

"My man. You came home and left in a hurry. What's going on?" Severide asked.

"You know I like staying here, but it's long overdue that I get my own place." Casey said.

"You know you don't have to leave." Severide said.

"Actually, I think it's time for me to leave. Stella just moved in and no offense to Stella, but I don't wanna hear you two go at it through the walls." Casey laughed.

"Oh, I didn't know you could hear us." Severide admitted.

"Yeah, but as it turns out, I did find a place." Casey said.

"Really? Where?" Stella asked.

"With me. With Cruz living with Chloe now that they are married and Foster moving out to go to med school, I can't afford my apartment on a paramedic's salary alone." Brett said.

"So, when are you moving out?" Severide asked.

"As soon as Foster has moved out." Casey said.

Casey and Brett told Stella and Severide about what Voight and Burgess said and considering everything going on, they all thought it would be best if Brett stays at Severide's at least for the night.

"You're staying and that's final." Stella put her foot down.

"Alright." Brett said with a smile.

"We'll be back. I'm gonna take Brett to get some clothes." Casey said.

"I can take her." Stella interjected.

"Given what happened with her car and the fact that it could be gang related, I would feel better if I took her." Casey said.

"Why don't we all go. Numbers game." Severide said.

"Fine with me." Brett smiled.

With that, everyone left Severide's place and got into Stella's jeep. Stella drove to Brett's apartment and after parking her jeep, they all headed inside the apartment. Brett headed inside her bedroom with Stella.

"So, you and Casey are gonna be roommates, huh?" Stella teased.

"Yeah but it's not like that. We're just friends. Plus, he was married to Gabby and I don't think he's over her." Brett said.

"Brett, Gabby left him and all of us to go do whatever it is she wants to do. Casey's face lights up when you are around, something that never happened with her. I mean, don't get me wrong, his face lit up with her but with you, it's different. I don't know how to explain it." Stella said.

"Stella, I think you're reading more into this than you need too. Casey and I are just friends." Brett said.

"If you say so." Stella said in defeat.

Back in the living room, Severide and Casey were talking.

"Dude, Brett has been the one consistent thing in your life. You can't deny that you have feelings for her." Severide teased Casey.

"It's not like that and even if it were like that, there's no telling that she would be into me like that. Whatever this is between us, the ball is in her court. I think she's seeing someone anyway." Casey said.

"What gives you that idea?" Severide asked.

"The fact that she keeps talking to some guy on the phone." Casey said.

"You've been eavesdropping haven't you?" Severide teased.

"Not on purpose." Casey chuckled.

Severide was about to say something when Stella and Brett came out from Brett's bedroom.

"Ready to go?" Brett asked.

She noticed the look on Casey and Severide's faces.

"What did I miss?" Brett asked.

"Nothing. Just Severide being Severide." Casey covered.

"Uh huh. Sure." Brett said.

They left the apartment and headed back to Severide's place. Once at Severide's place, Casey took Brett's bag to his room. He had decided to let Brett stay in his room and decided to sleep on the couch.

"I'm making steaks. Hope that's alright." Severide said.

"Sounds good." Brett said.

"Brett, wanna help me make the salad?" Stella said.

"Sure." Brett replied.

Since the steaks were in the oven baking and the guys were sitting on the couch watching football. Stella and Brett were chopping up the vegetables for the salad and talking.

"Girl, you sure you know what you are getting into with Casey living with you?" Stella asked concerned.

"We are just friends. That's all. Plus, he was married to Gabby." Brett said.

"Key word being that he WAS married to Gabby. She left him heartbroken and the only time that he's been even remotely happy since the divorce has been with you." Stella noted.

"I think you are overthinking this whole situation." Brett said.

They finished cutting the vegetables and placed them into the bowl. Stella grabbed the Italian dressing and poured some of it over the salad. Stella could tell that Brett was beginning to get annoyed with their conversation and decided to drop the subject.

"Dude, I'm telling you that Brett has a thing for you and I can almost guarantee that you have a thing for her as well." Severide smirked.

"Even if I did feel something for Brett, we can't. Gabby hurt both of us and a part of me will always love Gabby, but she chose to leave me. She made her choice but out of respect for Brett's friendship with Gabby, I can't be with her." Casey said.

"Gabby is gone, Casey. I understand that a part of you will always love Gabby but you can't let that hold you back from moving on. Trust me, I let my love for Shay and Anna hold me back and if it wasn't for Stella, I don't know what I would have done. Stella is my rock and I think Brett is your rock." Severide said.

Before Casey could answer, Stella yelled.

"Kelly, time to check the steaks." Stella yelled.

Severide got up from the couch and checked the steaks, which were almost done.

"So, the salad is done. What else do you need help with?" Brett asked.

"Uh, nothing. Kelly and I have the rest." Stella said.

"Alright." Brett said as she walked over to the couch and sat beside of Casey.

As Brett sat down beside of Casey, he looked at her and smiled.

"This is going to sound strange but did you get the feeling that those two are up to something?" Casey asked.

"Now that you mention it, yeah. It's kind of strange." Brett giggled.

Casey didn't want Brett to know what Severide said and Brett didn't want Casey to know what Stella had said.

"So, have you thought about what you are going to do tomorrow?" Casey asked.

"I think I'm gonna have a girl's night with Foster and Stella since Foster is leaving." Brett smiled.

"Oh." Casey said with disappointment.

"But during the day I'm free." Brett said.

Casey smiled and Stella took notice of Casey and Brett flirting.

"Kelly, check it out." Stella whispered.

Severide looked up and saw what Stella was referring too.

"Should we..." Stella said before Severide interupted her.

"No. If we keep trying to push them together, they won't like it." Severide said.

Stella gave him a look.

"I tried to push Casey and I could tell that he was getting annoyed." Severide said.

"Yeah, Brett was getting the same way but what are we supposed to do? We can't just stand around and wait for them to make a move on each other." Stella said.

"Stell, listen to me. I love you, but both of them are going through a lot right now. Foster is moving out, Brett lost Julie and her sister all within a week, and then Dawson showed up not too long ago. They need time to figure out what they want because both of them have been through a lot. Look how I was after Anna died." Severide said.

Stella took a step back and took a deep breath.

"You're right." Stella said.

As Stella checked the mashed pototoes and macaroni and cheese, Severide checked the steaks. The steaks were done and he and Stella placed the food on the island along with the silverware.

"Hey guys, come and get it." Stella called.

Brett and Casey got up and walked over to the kitchen where Stella handed them a plate. One by one, they filled their plates full of food and then grabbed silverware that was laying on the island. They all sat in the living room. The men sat on the couch and the women sat on the floor. They told stories about how they became involved in their job and why. All in all, they were all enjoying their time together. Brett and Severide never really hung out that much outside of work, but both had respect and trust for each other.


	17. Trouble All Around

**Hey everyone, here is the next chapter. This story is almost over and once I get this story finished, I'll go back and work on my other fanfic, If You Asked Me Too. I hope you all like this chapter. Don't forget to leave feedback :)**

CHAPTER 17

"Do you remember that time when we had to do that Polar Plunge event? That water was so cold." Severide laughed.

"Oh yeah. That was when Foster came back and decided to join in." Brett giggled.

"I remember laughing at Kelly because he got in and stayed for like a minute and got out. I lasted just a few seconds longer than he did." Stella laughed.

"I can't believe it came down to Boden, Casey, and Mouch." Brett said.

"Hey, in all fairness, I had to stay in there longer than Boden. Boden and I had a bet going on and in no way was I going to let the Chief win." Casey joked.

"If I remember correctly, Otis, Herrmann, Cruz, and Kelly were the first ones out." Stella joked.

Everyone started laughing.

"True but I'm surprised that Brett lasted the longest out of us girls." Stella smiled.

"How did you manage to last longer than me?" Severide asked.

"Otis and I had a bet. He said I wouldn't last more than five seconds and I told him that I could last longer than him. So, in true Otis fashion, we made a bet. If I could out last most of the guys plus Stella and Foster, then he would give me $100 but if I lost, I had to give him $100. Just seeing his face was priceless." Brett smiled.

"I have to say, Mouch is the King of the Polar Plunge." Casey joked.

"I don't know how he managed to out do everyone in that, but I'm glad 51 won." Severide joked.

They all laughed some more and continued to tell stories. After dinner, Stella and Brett washed the dishes while Severide and Casey watched TV.

"So, what's the plan for tomorrow?" Stella asked.

"Well, Foster wants us to have a girl's night with her since it's the last time we'll see her before she leaves." Brett said.

"I'll have to check with Kelly, but sounds like a plan." Stella said.

Brett and Stella kept talking while finishing the dishes. Meanwhile, the guys were in the living room watching a replay of a football game that was on earlier.

"Oh come on! The ref should have called that." Severide said.

"It's just a game." Casey joked.

Severide and Casey laughed and then Stella and Brett joined them.

"So, I was thinking." Stella said.

Everyone looked at her.

"And?" Brett asked.

"Who wants to play a good old fashion board game of Monopoly?" Stella laughed.

Everyone laughed and shook their heads.

"What?" Stella asked.

"I don't know about you, but I'm tired. Maybe tomorrow night you, me, and Foster can play Monopoly." Brett said.

"Deal." Stella said.

Stella and Kelly headed to their bedroom, leaving Brett and Casey alone. Casey walked Brett to his bedroom.

"If you need anything, I'll be on the couch. I put out an extra blanket and pillow for you just in case you need it." Casey said.

"Thank you." Brett smiled.

They told each other goodnight and Casey closed the door behind him. As soon as Brett got settled in the bed, her phone rang. It was Voight.

"Hello?" Brett asked.

"Brett, this is Hank Voight. I'm sorry to bother you so late but I want you to know that we caught the guys that vandalized your car. We also caught other gang members who vandalized other cars as well." Voight said.

"Oh, uh, that's great. Um, do I need to do anything?" Brett asked.

"There may be a possibility that you may need to testify that your car was vandalized and all that, but other than that, there's nothing you need to do. I'm sure the D.A. will be in touch with you if he needs you to testify." Voight explained.

"Thanks, Voight." Brett said.

They said their goodbyes and hung up the phone. Brett decided to go into the living room and tell Casey what happened.

"Matt?" Brett asked with a whisper.

"Hey, is everything alright?" Casey asked.

"Yeah, uh, I didn't mean to wake you." Brett said.

"I wasn't asleep. What's up?" Casey asked.

Brett told Casey about the call she received from Voight.

"So, the D.A. will contact you if you need to testify?" Casey asked.

"Yeah." Brett smiled.

"That's good. I knew Voight and the rest of them would catch the guys. Now, you can breathe easier." Casey chuckled.

Brett smiled.

"I'm going back to bed. See you in the morning." Brett said.

"Goodnight." Casey said.

"Goodnight." Brett replied.

Brett went back into Casey's bedroom, closed the door, and went to bed. The next morning, Brett had woke up before everyone else. She made Casey's bed and then headed to the bathroom to take a shower. Casey stirred, hearing the shower. He checked the time on his phone and realized that it was only 6:00 a.m. and that it was Brett in the bathroom. He closed his eyes and tried to go back to sleep. He knew that she couldn't leave without him, Severide, or Stella and was curious about what Brett was doing up so early. The more he tried to go back to sleep, the more he became awake. Suddenly, he heard the bathroom door open and then caught a glimpse of Brett walking out and back towards his bedroom. He got up and stretched and then walked over to his bedroom door and barely knocked on it.

"Come in." Brett said in a soft voice.

"Morning. How did you sleep?" Casey asked.

"Not gonna lie, I think that was one of the best night's sleep I've had in a very long time." Brett said.

Casey chuckled.

"Really? Why is that?" Casey asked curiously.

"I don't know. I haven't figured that out yet." Brett joked.

Brett brushed her hair and Casey watched her for a minute before he turned to walk away.

"Do you need in here? I can go in the living room if needed." Brett commented.

"Oh, that's ok. I just needed to get a change of clothes so I can get a shower." Casey said.

"Oh, let me get out of your way." Brett said.

Brett got up to leave and Casey gently grabbed her arm. The closeness between them was felt through their bodies. They stood there, just looking into each other's eyes for a minute.

"You don't have to leave." Casey quietly said as he released Brett's arm.

Before Brett could say anything, they both heard Stella and Severide.

"Casey! Brett!" Stella called out.

Brett and Casey came out of the bedroom and Stella and Severide took notice.

"What were you two up too?" Severide teased.

"Oh, nothing. Brett was telling me about the call she got from Voight last night after we went to bed." Casey lied.

Technically, it wasn't lie, Casey just left out the part about Brett telling him last night instead of this morning.

"What did Voight say?" Severide asked.

"He said that they got the guys who did this and that I may need to testify, although, I'm not sure what good that will do since I didn't see anything." Brett said.

"If you testify, they probably just want you to confirm that it was your car and that you saw it was vandalized." Stella said.

"Probably, but there's also a chance that I don't have to testify." Brett said.

"That's good." Stella replied.

"I'm gonna get a shower. Does anyone need in the bathroom before I take a shower?" Casey asked.

"I'm good." Severide said.

"Me too." Stella replied.

Casey headed into the bathroom to take a shower. Severide made breakfast as Stella and Brett talked on the couch.

"So, you and Casey seemed to be a little chummy this morning." Stella teased.

"It's not like that. I was telling him about Voight." Brett said.

Stella gave her a look.

"Sure you were." Stella joked.

"Breakfast is ready!" Severide called out.

Stella, Brett, and Severide grabbed a plate and filled it with food. Casey came out from the bathroom after his shower and took his dirty clothes to put in his hamper in his bedroom and then grabbed a plate from the kitchen. He filled his plate full of food and then joined Brett, Stella, and Severide in the living room.

"So Casey, what's your plans for today?" Stella asked.

"Oh, I'm just going over to Mr. Larson's house to check on him." Casey said.

"That sounds like a good idea. Mind if I come?" Brett asked.

"Sure." Casey replied.

Stella and Severide gave each other knowing looks before excusing themselves. They put their dishes in the kitchen sink and then went back to their bedroom, leaving Brett and Casey alone.

"So, when are you going to see Mr. Larson?" Brett asked.

"I was actually going to get ready to leave." Casey smiled.

"Alright. Uh, let me get my things and I'll meet you at your truck." Brett softly said.

"Alright." Casey said as he headed out the door.

Brett went into Casey's room, grabbed her things, and then left the apartment to meet Casey at his truck.

"Ready?" Casey asked.

"Yep." Bret replied.

They got into the truck and headed to Mr. Larson's house. After they arrived at Mr. Larson's, they got out of the truck and it was strange that Mr. Larson wasn't waiting on them. If he was expecting one of them or both of them, he usually greeted them by the door with his cat, Dusty. Casey knocked on the door and even rang the doorbell but no answer. Casey tried again and still, there was no answer. Casey checked the door to see if it was open and was surprised that it was unlocked. He and Brett went inside and found Mr. Larson on the floor. Brett went into paramedic mode immediately and checked his pulse and his breathing.

"Call 911! He's barely breathing!" Brett yelled.

Casey made the call and Brett tried to use her training and experience to save Mr. Larson. Within about ten minutes, the paramedics arrived.

"Hey Brett, what's going on?" one of the paramedics from another shift at 51 asked.

"Mr. Larson is barely breathing. He keeps losing consciousness. I'm not sure what is wrong, but he's struggling with his breathing. Casey and I found him on the floor." Brett said.

"We got it from here." the paramedic replied.

The two paramedics from 51 that worked a different shift from Brett and Casey took Mr. Larson to Chicago Med. Casey wanted to go to Med but Brett wanted to check on Dusty first.

"Dusty! Here kitty!" Brett called out.

Dusty came running into the living room as soon as he heard Brett call for him. She picked him up and gave him a little bit of attention and then checked to make sure that he had some food and water. After, she and Casey left and headed to Med to check on Mr. Larson.


	18. Breaking Girl's Night

**Hey everyone, I'm sorry it's been a while since I've updated. I am working on the final few chapters of this story. If you guys want me to continue this story and not end it, let me know. I still have my other fanfic, If You Ask Me Too, that I need to finish. Anyway, here is Chapter 18 and I hope you all like it! Please leave a review if you want me to continue this story :)**

CHAPTER 18

Brett and Casey arrived at Chicago Med to check on Mr. Larson. Maggie had just came out from the ER room that Mr. Larson was in.

"Maggie, how's Mr. Larson?" Casey asked.

Maggie face went blank.

"Matt, he, uh, he had a massive stroke in the ambulance. He barely made it here in time but he's stable right now." Maggie said.

"Thank goodness." Brett said.

"Can we see him?" Casey asked.

"He's resting right now but as soon as he's up and alert, I'll let you know." Maggie said.

"Thanks, Maggie." Casey said.

Maggie left and went back to work.

"So, do you wanna stay here and wait for him to wake up or do you wanna leave?" Casey asked Brett.

"It's up to you." Brett said.

"I think it's safe to say that he will be asleep for a bit. What do you say I get you back to your place and we can meet up later to visit Mr. Larson." Casey suggested.

"Uh, yeah. That sounds good." Brett softly replied.

Casey and Brett left and he took Brett back to her place. Once they got there, Casey walked Brett up to her apartment and checked things out for her.

"Everything looks good." Casey casually said.

Before Brett could reply, she received a text message from Foster.

"GIRL'S NIGHT AT MOLLY'S? - FOSTER." the text message read.

"ABSOLUTELY. - BRETT." Brett responded.

"So, I guess I'll leave and when Mr. Larson wakes up, I'll text you." Casey said.

"Or, you can stay." Brett suggested.

"Well, what about your girl thing with Kidd and Foster?" Casey asked.

"That's not until later." Brett smirked with a grin.

"Oh, well, I'll stay if you want me too...but only until we see Mr. Larson." Casey said.

"Deal." Brett smiled.

As they made their way over to the couch, Brett's cell phone rang. It was the insurance agency calling about the damages to her car.

"...and so Ms. Brett, we will send an adjuster out to the car." the agent said.

"Alright. Uh, when will this happen?" Brett asked.

"We will be sending the adjuster out within the next week. We will send you an e-mail with a notification and confirmation of the date and time of when the adjuster will be there. Is the car at your place or is it at the impound?" the agent asked.

"I had it towed to my place." Brett said.

The agent had Brett confirm the address and other information and after, they said their goodbyes and hung up the phone.

"Who was that?" Casey asked with concern.

"Oh, it was just my car insurance agency. They are supposed to be sending an adjuster out to look at the car and see what they can do." Brett said.

"That's good." Casey said.

An awkward silence filled the air for a few minutes. Casey sat down in the chair across from the couch, while Brett sat on her favorite spot on the couch, left side with a throw pillow. She reached over to the coffee table that separated the chair and couch and grabbed the remote control to the TV. She turned the TV on and scrolled through Netflix until a show caught her attention.

"Really?" Casey asked jokingly.

"What?" Brett joked back.

"Since when do you watch real estate shows?" Casey asked.

"Since forever." Brett said.

"I thought you watched home renovation shows." Casey said.

"I do, but I also watch shows like these. This is a new show I've never heard of. It shows that it's been on for about three seasons but I didn't even notice that it was on Netflix." Brett said.

"Now I'm kind of curious to see what this show is about. It's probably like all of those other reality shows where there is a lot of drama and doesn't really show the houses." Casey said.

"Might as well give it a try." Brett said with a smile.

She pressed play on the TV show, Selling Sunset, which was a Netflix original show. It had three seasons, so she went to Season 1 and hit play on the first episode. Even though the show had a little bit of drama, the houses that were shown in each episode were luxurious and absolutely stunning. Unfortunately, she knew that she could never afford something that expensive, but the houses were definitely nice to look at. Even Casey was intrigued with the houses.

"You wanna know a little secret?" Casey asked.

"Sure." Brett answered.

"Don't tell anyone, but this show isn't as bad as I thought it would be. Minus the drama, the houses are very beautiful." Casey said.

"Of course they are." Brett joked.

"If I built my own house, I would only want enough room for myself and maybe a guest. That's it. No fancy four to eight bedrooms. No fancy kitchen. Just something simple. Two, maybe three bedrooms top with a decent size kitchen, maybe the size of yours, a larger living room so everyone from 51 could sit comfortably, and that's about it." Casey explained.

"What about the backyard?" Brett asked.

"Well, I would have a back porch or patio with a hot tub and maybe one of those Walmart sized family pools. You know, the tall four or five feet pools that stand about up to here." Casey said pointing to his chest.

"Alright, what else?" Brett asked.

"That's really it. What about you? What would be your absolute dream home if money weren't an option?" Casey asked.

"Maybe something like yours except I'd like to have a big kitchen so if I have company over for like Thanksgiving dinner or Christmas dinner or just dinner in general, there is enough room for everyone to be in the kitchen without being on top of each other." Brett said.

"In other words, a huge kitchen." Casey smirked.

Brett playfully threw the throw pillow at Casey and let out a giggle. Casey chuckled and threw it back. They did that for a few minutes until Casey stood up.

"Alright, Sylvie Brett, you asked for it." Casey said as he walked over to Brett with the pillow.

Brett pleaded and screamed with laughter at Casey to not throw the pillow at her. He placed the pillow on the couch and then tickled her mercifully until she caved.

"Do you give up?" he playfully asked.

"Yes!" Bret laughed.

Casey let Brett go and he sat on the couch beside of her. They stopped laughing to try and catch their breath but that didn't last long. They started laughing again. Finally after the laughter stopped, Casey's phone rang. It was the hospital.

"Hello?" Casey asked over the phone.

"Hey Matt, it's Maggie. Mr. Larson is awake and alert now if you and Sylvie want to come see him." Maggie said on the other end of the phone.

"Thanks, Maggie." Casey said.

They said their goodbyes and hung up the phone.

"So, Maggie just called and said that Mr. Larson is awake. You wanna go see him?" he asked.

"Sure." she smiled.

Casey and Brett got their things and then headed to the hospital. After they got there, they headed into Mr. Larson's hospital room.

"If it isn't our favorite patient." Casey said as he greeted Mr. Larson.

"Oh, Matthew. Sylvie. What are you both doing here?" Mr. Larson asked.

"We came by your house to check on you but you weren't doing too well, so we got you to the hospital as fast as we could. We were worried about you." Casey said.

"Oh, bless your hearts. You both have taken such great care of me since the fire and funeral. Thank you." Mr. Larson said with a hoarse voice.

Mr. Larson took a sip of water and then placed the cup back on the tray.

"Don't mention it. We love to help." Brett said with a smile.

"How's Dusty?" Mr. Larson asked.

"He's doing good. If you want, I can take him in until you get out of the hospital." Brett said.

"Would you? That would be wonderful. He has really taken a liking to you." Mr. Larson said.

They all talked and visited for a bit until Maggie came in the room. She checked Mr. Larson's stats and then kicked Brett and Casey out.

"I hate to break up the party in here, but Mr. Larson needs to rest." Maggie said.

"Do they have to go?" Mr. Larson asked.

"I'm afraid so, but they can come back and visit you tomorrow. We have to run more tests and keep a close eye on you the next few days." Maggie said.

"We'll come back tomorrow after shift." Casey said.

Mr. Larson gave a knowing smile and told Brett and Casey goodbye. Brett and Casey left the hospital and headed back to Brett's apartment.

"So, it's ok if I bring some of my things over since Foster's moving out?" Casey asked as they entered the apartment.

"Sure." Brett said as she saw a note on the refrigerator.

"GOT MY STUFF OUT. PARENTS CAME IN. GIRLS NIGHT ANOTHER NIGHT. - FOSTER." the note read.

Just then, Stella sent a text to Brett.

"GIRLS NIGHT CANCELLED. RAINCHECK. - STELLA." the text read.

Brett groaned.

"What's wrong?" Casey asked.

"How would you feel about moving all of your things in here as soon as possible?" Brett said with a smile, hiding how mad she was at both Stella and Foster.

"Why? What's going on? I thought you, Stella, and Foster had plans for tonight." Casey said.

"Well, Foster's parents came in and she's moved the last of her things out of here already, so she and Stella cancelled our girl's night." Brett said.

Casey saw the disappointment on Brett's face as she tried to hide it.

"Well, I don't have that much to move. As you probably could tell by my room at Severide's, I have like three boxes and two trashbags of things and that's it. Most of my things were lost in the fire." Casey said.

Brett remembered exactly when that had happened.

"You want me to help you?" Brett eagerily asked.

"Tell you what, I can actually get all of it myself. Why don't you order us some pizza or something while I go get my stuff from Severide's." Casey said.

"That sounds like a plan. I can't really go anywhere without a car." she chuckled.

Casey flashed a smile at her.

"I'll be back in a bit." he smiled.

"Oh, here's Foster's key. She left it on the counter." Brett said as she handed him the key.

"Thanks." Casey said as he put the key in his pocket.

As he headed out, he told her to lock the door behind him because of what has happened. She nodded and as soon as he was out of sight in the hallway and stairwell, she closed the door, locked it, and walked over to the window to watch him leave. He looked up at her from the parking lot and gave her a warm smile and nod to let her know he would be back. She smiled back and he got into his truck and left. For Bret, having Casey give her that last little smile before he left just reassured her that it would be alright. It didn't take Casey long for him to get his things from Severide's place. Stella left a note for Casey saying that she and Severide were going out for the day and not to worry. Casey made two trips to his truck with his things and then he left a note letting Severide and Stella know what was going on. After taking one last look around the place to make sure he had everything that was his, he closed the door behind him and locked it. He decided to give the key back to Severide at work the next day. He finally arrived back at Brett's apartment and carried three boxes up the stairs to the apartment. Brett was already waiting on him as she watched the window for him to appear again. Before he could knock on the door, Brett opened the door.

"Here, let me help." Brett said as she opened the door.

"Oh, thanks. I have two trashbags I have to go get." Casey said.

Brett took one box and Casey took the rest and they placed them on the couch. Brett went to follow Casey out the door but she was stopped.

"Where do you think you're going?" Casey asked.

"To help you get the rest of your things." Brett said.

"Not so fast. It's only two trashbags and I can get those myself. If it's not too much trouble, can you take the boxes into my room?" Casey asked.

"Sure." Brett said, knowing she wouldn't win an argument against Casey.

Brett closed the door behind Casey and then took the boxes to Casey's room, which was Cruz's old room, while Casey went to his truck and got the last of his things. He came back up to the apartment, opened the door, and walked in. Brett came running out to help him. He closed the door behind him and then went over to the couch to sit down.

"So, I put those boxes in the bedroom on the bed. I just put some clean sheets and a blanket on the bed. There's some extra pillow cases and an extra pillow on the top shelf on the linen closet if you need it." Brett said.

"You don't have to do that." Casey said.

"What do you mean?" she asked.

"Trying to not be upset over the fact that Foster moved out and that she and Kidd bailed on tonight." he said.

Brett didn't realize that she was doing what he said. She didn't say anything and Casey could tell that she was thinking about something. Normally, she would say something to him but he could tell she was in deep thought.

"Brett?" he called out.

Brett snapped out of her thoughts.

"Oh, sorry." she chuckled.

"Where was your mind?" he asked.

"On everything. Gabby leaving without a goodbye, twice. Foster leaving without a goodbye. Julie leaving before I got to know her more. Just everything." she said.

Casey knew how hurt Brett had been when Gabby left without so much as a goodbye the first time, but he didn't know that Gabby left without saying goodbye again. Now with Foster leaving, he knew Brett would be trying to put on a fake smile and pretend she's alright when she's not.


	19. Girl's Night Afterall

**Hey everyone, here is Chapter 19. I am sorry for the long delay on the update. I have had a lot of personal things going on but in honor of the Season 9 premiere tomorrow night (November 11, 2020), I figured I would give you all an updated chapter. Please leave a review and I hope you all enjoy this chapter :)**

CHAPTER 19

A few hours went by and Casey and Brett were laughing about the most random things while playing a few rounds of poker. As Casey was getting ready to deal the next round of cards, they heard a knock on the door. Brett got up and answered it and saw it was one of the neighbors.

"Hey Sylvie, I locked myself out of the apartment. Would you mind if I used your phone to call the landlord? My phone died and I just got off work." the neighbor said.

"I can actually help you with that. Give me a second and I'll be right out." Brett said.

"Thanks, Sylvie." the neighbor replied.

Brett closed the door and put her shoes on.

"Hey, I'll be right back. The neighbor locked herself out of the apartment." Brett said.

Before Casey could even reply, Brett was out the door. She picked the lock for her neighbor and after talking for a few minutes, Brett went back into her apartment.

"Did you get the neighbor in?" Casey casually asked.

"Yep. Picking locks is easy." Brett smiled.

Casey gave her a look.

"Since when do you know how to pick locks?" Casey asked, shocked that Brett could pick locks.

"My brother and I would lock ourselves out of our house all the time and we would have to pick the lock to get in." Brett laughed.

Casey flashed his signature smile at Brett.

"You never ceased to amaze me, Brett." he teased.

She returned a smile.

"There's a lot you don't know about me." she teased.

That peaked his interest. He knew he shouldn't be feeling whatever it was he was feeling for Brett, but he couldn't help it. For the first time, in a really long time, he feels like he's found someone who understands him for who he is and for what he believes in. Gabby used to understand him, but somewhere along the way, she lost interest in him knowing him. Although a piece of him will always love Gabby, Gabby left him. He knew that Gabby was leaving whether he went with her to Puerto Rico or not. Her mind was made up. Casey was heartbroken, devastated, and hurt when Gabby left. While Gabby had been away in Puerto Rico, the strain on their marriage took a toll on both of them. It started out that they would talk at least once a day, then over time, once a day turned into once a week, then once a month until they didn't talk at all. The last time time they had spoken to each other prior to her very brief return to Chicago, was when they had decided to get divorced. He also knew about this "Girl Code" that existed. The "Girl Code" was that a girl/woman couldn't date any of her best friend's exes. It was a ridiculous code. Gabby left everyone, including Casey and Brett. She didn't say goodbye to anyone when she was in town for her charity's gala event.

"Our night together was our goodbye. No words needed." Casey thought to himself.

"I know that look on your face." Brett said, snapping Casey out of his thoughts.

"Oh, nothing. I was just trying to picture you picking locks." Casey grinned.

Brett smiled and then sat down on the floor across from Casey.

"So, how about another game of poker?" she asked.

"Sure, but I'm gonna beat you this time." he chuckled.

Casey shuffled the cards and they played several rounds of poker until Casey decided to give up.

"I don't know how you keep beating me." he joked.

"Wanna know my secret?" she asked.

"Uh, yeah." he teased.

"There is no secret. It's just luck." she teased.

They playfully bantered back and forth for a few minutes until Casey's phone rang. It was a text from Severide.

"MOLLY'S TONIGHT? - SEVERIDE." the text read.

"SORRY, BUSY. - CASEY." Casey replied.

Truth is, Casey wasn't busy. He just wanted to enjoy what time he had with Brett alone because once they go back to work tomorrow, they would be busy with work and calls. He wasn't sure what it was, but there was something about being around Brett that made him feel good about himself and it felt nice. Several hours passed and Casey noticed that Brett was getting very restless. They decided to play one last game of poker but as Casey dealt the cards, Brett's phone rang with a text message.

"SYLVIE, GIRL'S NIGHT AT MY PLACE, SAY 8:00? - CHLOE." the text read.

Brett smiled and replied.

"ABSOLUTELY. - SYLVIE." Brett replied.

"What's that smile about?" Casey teased.

"So, Chloe just texted that she wanted to do a Girl's Night." Brett said.

"Well, I think you should go. You were upset about Foster and Stella cancelling tonight, so I think you should go." Casey said.

"I am." Brett chuckled.

"Do you need a ride?" he asked.

"You don't mind? I mean, Chloe didn't say anything about coming to get me or anything." Brett said.

"Well, Cruz and Chloe's place is on the way to Molly's, so it's no problem. Severide texted and wanted me to come to Molly's tonight." Casey explained.

"Alright, uh, let me go get ready and I'll meet you in here in a few minutes." Brett said as she headed to her bedroom.

Casey watched as Brett went to her bedroom. He shook his head and started talking to himself.

"Why did I tell her that I think she should go?" he asked himself.

Brett was in her room getting ready. She changed into a pair of blue jeans, a pink tank top with a white short sleeve jacket over the tank top, and a pair of comfy tennis shoes. She put a little bit of eyeliner on and then grabbed her purse. She walked out of her room and greeted Casey.

"Ready to go?" she asked.

"Sure." he said and they headed out the door and to his truck.

The drive to Chloe and Cruz's house wasn't that far. The ride over didn't take long. They arrived and Brett took her seatbelt off.

"So, I'll text you when I'm ready to leave. Is that alright?" Brett asked.

"Sounds good." Casey said with a half smile.

Brett smiled and then got out of the truck, shut the door, and walked up the steps to the door to Chloe and Cruz's place. Before she could open the door to go inside, Cruz was on his way out the door.

"Oh, hey Brett. Bye, Brett." Cruz said as he walked down the steps.

Chloe and Brett giggled and then Brett walked inside the apartment building. Casey waited to see that Brett got inside before leaving and then saw Cruz, who wasn't paying attention, walking the down the steps and towards his car.

"Cruz!" Casey yelled.

Cruz stopped to see who was yelling his name and saw that it was Casey.

"Hey Captain, what's up." Cruz said.

"On my way to Molly's. I just dropped off Brett. You going to Molly's?" Casey asked.

"Yeah. Chloe decided to have this girl's night thing with Brett, so I decided to go to Molly's." Cruz said.

"Hop in. I'll give you a ride since I'm heading that way myself. Brett said she'd text me when she's ready to leave." Casey said.

"Thanks, man." Cruz said.

Cruz got in the truck and then Casey drove to Molly's. Meanwhile, Brett and Chloe were sitting in high top chairs at the island bar in the middle of the kitchen.

"You know that Matt has a thing for you, don't you?" Chloe said as she poured a glass of wine for her and Brett.

"Casey? No way. I mean, we're just friends." Brett stuttered as she tried to find the words to say.

"Sylvie, take it from me. Matt is smitten with you." Chloe insisted.

"I hadn't noticed." Brett lied.

Truth is, she did notice and she caught his looks often when he didn't think she saw him. Ever since Dawson left, Brett and Casey have gotten closer as friends. It was her spin class instructor who made the comment to her about her and Casey belonging together that got her attention. Since then, she often catches herself wondering if she and Casey would be good together. She and Kyle broke up and Casey was the only one she thought about seeing when she got back home to 51.

"You know, you do that thing with your eye when you're lying." Chloe said.

"What thing?" Brett asked.

"That little twitching thing. That and you can't hold a straight face. Sylvie Brett, do you like Matthew Casey?" Chloe asked jokingly.

"Me? And Casey? No way. We're just friends. He was married to my best friend..." Brett trailed off.

Gabby Dawson was her best friend but how could her so called best friend not ever call her or anyone else at 51? Brett understood why Dawson left but even when Dawson came in for her charity's gala event, Dawson barely spoke to her. Still, Brett did feel a bit guilty for liking Casey but she couldn't help it. She and Casey bonded closely after Dawson left so how could she not fall for Matthew Casey?

"And now he's not. Sylvie, Matt and Gabby haven't been married in what, two years, so why not go for it?" Chloe asked insistantly.

"Because that's breaking some sort of 'Girl Code' isn't it?" Brett asked.

"Sort of but not really." Chloe said.

"What do you mean?" Brett asked.

"It would be breaking the 'Girl Code' if she and Matt were still talking and neither of them moved on. It sounds like both of them have moved on. Also, if both have moved on, it's fair game. Sylvie, all I'm saying is that the 'Girl Code' can only go so far. You and Matt are two consenting adults. He and Gabby have been divorced for what, two years now? She came back for what, one week and didn't really talk to anyone but Matt, and from what Joe has told me, Matt is smitten with you." Chloe said.

"Smitten? Matthew Casey? How would Cruz know anyway?" Brett curiously asked.

"Well, the other day when Matt came over to help Joe and I put in those new windows, they were talking about you." Chloe said.

"Really?" Brett asked.

Brett was trying to play it off as if she had no clue what was going on. The truth is she wasn't entirely sure, but the way that Casey was acting, led her to believe that he does have some sort of feelings for her. The only problem is she didn't want to hurt Gabby but how could she hurt Gabby if Gabby never called or visit but once in a blue moon, if that. In the two years that she has been gone, she only visited twice and barely spoke to anyone except Casey.

"Yeah, so I was in the kitchen making some lemonade for them and I couldn't help but overhear Matt tell Joe that he and Gabby had slept together the night of the gala. He said that it was closure for both him and Gabby and that they had to say goodbye one last time and well, I interupted them." Chloe said.

Brett gave her a look.

"So, what happened?" Brett asked, almost as if she were waiting for Chloe to finish the story

"They went back to work and I left them alone." Chloe giggled.

Brett took in everything that Chloe said. She had a feeling it was true but wasn't sure. The two women continued to talk and just enjoy their night while the men were gone. At Molly's, Casey and Cruz walked in and took a seat at the bar next to Severide.

"Hey guys, what can I get ya?" Stella said.

Casey was confused as to why Stella was there as Brett had told him that Stella cancelled on Brett.

"My usual." Casey said.

"I'll have my usual as well." Cruz said.

Stella grabbed two beer bottles from the cooler, opened them, and then handed them to Casey and Cruz.

"Is this why you cancelled on Brett?" Casey casually asked.

Stella was caught off guard for a minute and then answered.

"Uh, yeah. Herrmann had some sort of PTA thing at his daughter's school and needed me to fill in." Stella answered.

"You should have told Brett." Casey said.

Stella acknowledged what Casey meant. Stella knew Brett's feelings had been hurt but it was a last minute thing that Herrmann asked Stella to do. Casey told Stella about Foster backing out and how Chloe asked her to come hang out. Stella felt guilty. Brett had been through so much and she should have told Brett what was happening but instead, she just said she couldn't hang out and left Brett a little hurt. Brett was resiliant though. She always bounced back and always found a way to come out with her head held high even after being hurt. Back at Cruz and Chloe's, Chloe and Brett were now sitting in the living room talking about her upcoming honeymoon vacation. Although she and Cruz had a small honeymoon, Cruz wanted to take Chloe away to an exotic place for a whole week.

"So, what's your dream honeymoon?" Brett asked.

"He wants to go to the Dominican Republic or some place like that." Chloe said.

"But where do you wanna go?" Brett asked again.

"I don't know. The Dominican Republic sounds really good but I think I'd rather be somewhere that feels close to home, like Hawaii or Australia. Something like that." Chloe said.

They both took a sip of wine and then Chloe asked Brett the same question.

"What about you? Where would you want to go on your honeymoon if you got married?" Chloe asked.

Brett was surprised. She hadn't really thought about that.

"You know, I haven't really thought about it. I guess if I had to pick a place, I would go somewhere like England or Ireland. I'm not really sure." Brett chuckled.

The two women continued to chat and enjoy their night. They even decided to watch a movie called "He's Just Not That Into You" where they discussed the characters and the story of each character. All and all, it was turning into a fun night but Cruz and Casey wouldn't agree.


	20. A Hangover and New Partner

**Hey everyone, here is the new chapter! I hope you all like it! Part of it starts with Season 9 episodes 1 and 2 and will continue since the character of Emily Foster is no longer a part of Firehouse 51. She will still be mentioned and there will be scenes with her but here's my take on Season 9 episodes 1 and 2 and what I felt should have happened. Some things might be the same but it's my take on it and how I felt it should have gone. I hope you all enjoy it! Please leave a review or comment and let me know what you all think :)**

CHAPTER 20

Casey and Cruz were having a pretty horrible night. College students were getting drunk and between the two of them, along with Severide and Mouch, it was a long night. Luckily after an hour or so of dealing with a bunch drunken college students, the atmosphere at Molly's Bar calmed down. It was a long night and Cruz and Casey were just ready to head out. Cruz called Chloe to let her know what had happened and that he and Casey were on their way. The men said goodbye to everyone at the bar and headed out. Back at Chloe's, Chloe and Brett were cleaning up the place and talking about the upcoming holidays.

"Any plans for the holidays?" Chloe asked.

"Well, I was planning on visiting my family for Thanksgiving but as for Christmas and New Year's, I don't have any plans. My parents said something about going out of town or something for Christmas, so I'm not sure." Brett said.

"Well, maybe you and Matt can spend the holidays together." Chloe suggested.

Brett smiled and let out a small giggle.

"I think you have had too much wine, Chloe Cruz." Brett teased.

The women started laughing uncontrollably.

"One last glass?" Chloe asked.

"Sure." Brett replied.

Chloe poured another glass of wine for her and Brett.

"I wonder what the men are doing?" Chloe asked.

"Drinking beer and probably having a cigar." Brett joked.

"Cigar?" Chloe asked.

"I know Severide and Casey have a cigar once in a blue moon." Brett said.

"I don't think Joe has but then again, he loves to surprise me." Chloe chuckled.

It didn't take long to finish up cleaning. The wine was starting to hit both women and for some reason, they kept laughing over the most random things. First, they were laughing because Chloe was talking about Cruz's obsession with Gilmore Girls. Then, they started laughing about the fact that they both nearly fell off the bar stool that they were sitting on. The men arrived back to the house and heard the women laughing from the kitchen. As they walked into the kitchen, Brett and Chloe laughed even harder, which led to them actually falling off the bar stool and Cruz and Casey catching them.

"What's so funny?" Cruz asked.

The women laughed even harder to the point that they could barely stand up.

"Is he here or am I just imagining it?" Brett said in a drunken state.

Chloe looked at Brett and then at Cruz and Casey and began to laugh again.

"If you're imagining it, so am I." Chloe laughed.

"Alright, let's get you two up." Casey said as he and Cruz helped Chloe and Brett stand up.

"You know, some girl is gonna be so lucky to marry you." Chloe told Cruz.

"I'm already married to her." Cruz said with a smile.

"You are? Is she nice and pretty?" Chloe laughed.

"Absolutely." Cruz said as he helped Chloe to the living room.

"You, Matthew Casey, are hot." Brett laughed.

"I'm hot?" Casey asked, curious to know what Brett meant.

"I want to, you know, what's the word I'm looking for...uh, bang you." Brett laughed.

Casey was feeling a bit amused but knew that he needed to get Brett home. She was drunk and he liked drunk Brett but he knew that she would have a really bad hangover the next morning. Brett started to pass out and he picked her up and carried her.

"How's Chloe?" Casey asked Cruz, who was in the living room with Chloe.

"She's passed out. Brett?" Cruz asked.

"Same. I'm gonna get her home so she can sleep it off." Casey said as he carried Brett to his truck and put her in there. After getting Brett settled into the truck, he went to his side and got in. He drove to the apartment and once there, he carried her inside. He gently placed her on the couch and then placed the blanket on the back of the couch, over her and then crashed in the chair. He was so tired that he couldn't even make it to his bedroom. It was the middle of the night and although Brett was drunk, she had to use the bathroom. She looked around and saw Casey asleep in the chair. She stumbled a bit and it woke Casey up.

"Hey, are you ok?" Casey asked, concerned about Brett.

"Yeah, I just need to use the bathroom and everything is spinning." Brett said.

"Here, let me help you." he said as he helped her to the bathroom.

He waited for her to get done in the bathroom and when she came out, she stumbled a bit and he caught her.

"Can you help me to the bedroom? I just wanna go to sleep." she said as she tried to stand up but couldn't.

"Sure." he quietly said.

Brett kept stumbling.

"Let me carry you. You're gonna end up falling if you're not careful." he said as he scooped her up.

"Have I told you how hot you are? It's true, Matthew Casey." Brett said in a drunken state of mind.

Casey found it amusing. That saying that drunken words are somber thoughts started running through Casey's mind. If that saying was true, then Brett was confessing her feelings to him and he loved it. He carried her to her bedroom and placed her on the bed.

"There you go." he smiled as she laughed.

"Matthew Casey, you're such a gentleman." she giggled.

He tried to hold back his laughter.

"You need to get some rest." Casey whispered.

"Goodnight." Brett mumbled before passing out.

Casey kissed her head.

"Goodnight." he whispered.

He covered her up and then closed the door behind him as he walked to his bedroom. He was too tired to change into his pajamas, so he just crawled into bed. It didn't take him long before he fell asleep. The next morning, Brett was feeling horrible. Why did she have to get drunk the night before shift? Lucky for her, being a paramedic has taught her how to help with nasty hangovers. Brett walked towards the bathroom and if she hadn't heard the water running, she would have walked in on Casey, who was in the shower. She went back to her room and grabbed a change of clothes. She waited for the door to the bathroom to open before she walked out of her bedroom. As soon as she heard the door open, she quietly opened her bedroom door and waited for Casey to walk out. Once he was in his bedroom, she rushed into the bathroom. She was feeling really sick. Casey came out of his room and walked towards the kitchen but couldn't help but hear Brett in the bathroom. He walked over and knocked on the door.

"Sylvie, you ok?" Casey asked.

"Yeah. I just need to get a shower for work." Brett called out.

"Let me know if you need anything." Casey said.

"I will." she replied.

She turned the water on and got undressed, grabbed a towel and wash cloth and then got in the shower. The warm water woke her up and after she was finished, she got dressed and came out of the bathroom. She walked towards her bedroom to finish getting ready. Lucky for her and Casey, they still had an hour before they had to leave for work. She finished getting ready and then came back into the living room.

"Here. Drink this." Casey said as he handed Brett a drink.

She gave him a look.

"It's good for hangovers just don't ask what's in it." Casey replied.

"I'm a paramedic. I also have experience on what's good for a hangover." Brett joked.

Casey chuckled.

"In all seriousness though, thank you. I appreciate it." Brett smiled.

She took a sip of the drink that Casey made her. It tasted horrible but it was Casey's secret hangover cure.

"Just how drunk was I last night?" Brett asked.

Casey chuckled.

"Let's just say that I liked that side of you." Casey grinned.

His grin always had a way of making her weak in the knees but she wasn't about to let him see that side of her.

"You ready to go?" Casey asked.

"Yep. I just hope it's not a busy day." Brett giggled.

"It's 51. It's always busy." Casey smirked.

Brett playfully hit Casey on the shoulder.

"Shut up." Brett laughed with a smile.

Casey laughed and they both headed out the door to Casey's truck. It didn't take them long to get to work. Brett felt weird not seeing Foster since she went to med school, but she was anxious to meet her new partner. She still kept in contact with Foster but was 51 just wouldn't be the same without her. Brett walked into the locker room, put her things up, and then headed to the bunk room until Boden called her into his office.

"Brett, I need to see you in my office." Boden said.

"Coming, Chief." Brett replied and headed towards Boden's office.

She walked into Boden's office and closed the door. Casey and Severide were already in there.

"Sylvie Brett, this is your new partner, Gianna Mackey." Boden said as he introduced Mackey to Brett.

"Nice to meet you." Brett smiled.

Before Mackey could reply, Boden interrupted and gave Mackey his famous speech for newcomers to the house.

"I expect that you will show this house the same respect that we show you." Boden said.

"Yes, sir." Mackey replied.

Just then, Cruz came busting through the doors.

"Chief...I'm...sorry...I'm...late..." Cruz said out of breath.

"Cruz, save your breath. We all have already met Gianna Mackey and she told us that she knew you." Boden said.

Everyone chuckled.

"Here I am showing up to work on time and he's late. This won't affect you hiring me, will it?" Mackey joked.

"Gianna Mackey, you'll fit right in here at 51. Dismissed. Cruz, I need a word." Boden said.

Everyone left and Cruz stayed behind to see what Boden wanted.

"I want you to help Mackey around 51, you know, show her the ropes. I know Brett is gonna be a good partner for her but I think it helps that you have known her for a long time and she feels comfortable around you." Boden said.

"You got it, Chief." Cruz said.

"Oh and Cruz, next time, call if you're gonna be late." Boden said.

Cruz nodded and then left Boden's office. Mackey and Brett were out on the apparatus floor.

"Alright, so here at 51, I usually try to make sure that we have enough gauze pads and alcohol pads because I like to be prepared. You never know what will happen. Also, we keep the Narcan here because if we have a patient who is overdosing, we need to be able to get to it quick enough. Oh and when I see that you're ready, I'll let you drive." Brett smiled as she explained everything.

"Sounds good, boss." Mackey smiled.

As Brett was teaching Mackey how to do inventory for the ambulance, Cruz came over to check on Mackey.

"How's she doing?" Cruz asked Brett.

Mackey looked up.

"You know I'm right here and can hear you?" Mackey quipped.

"She's doing fine, Cruz. It's only her first day." Brett said.

"I know. I just..." Cruz said before Mackey interrupted him.

"Cruz, Mackey's got this." Brett told him.

Cruz smiled and then walked away.

"Hey, I'm gonna grab a bite to eat before we get a call. Want anything?" Mackey asked Brett.

"I'm fine. Thanks for asking." Brett smiled.

Mackey smiled and then went inside.

"Hey, how's Mackey doing on her first day?" Casey asked.

Brett chuckled.

"Cruz just asked the same thing. She's doing good but we haven't had a call yet, so I'm not sure how she will do. She seems nice though, so there's that." Brett said.

"That's good." Casey smiled.

Just then, Brett and Mackey got a call to leave. Mackey came running out and met Brett at the ambulance. They left to go to the house where they went inside to find someone overdosing. As they started to work on the man who was overdosing, his brother came out from one of the bedrooms with a gun.

"Fix him or you die." the man said.

"Put the gun down." Brett said calmly while trying not to freak out.

"Fix him! Now!" the man yelled.

"You need to put the gun down. We can't do anything until then." Brett calmly said.

"I'll kill her right now. You think I care? That's my brother. He's the only thing I have left. Fix him or she dies!" the man yelled as he pointed the gun on Mackey.

"Hey, look at me. Point that gun back at me. We will do our best to make sure he's ok but you need to let us do our job." Brett tried to reason with him.

The man stood there with a gun pointed on Brett. He watched their every move to make sure they did their job. He listened as Brett gave Mackey instructions on what to do while trying to remain calm.

"No response." Mackey said as she checked his heart.

"He's apneic. We need to move." Brett said as she and Mackey got up.

"STOP!" the man yelled.

Brett and Mackey stopped to see what the man was about to do.

"What does that mean? What are you doing?" the man asked while still pointing the gun on the two women.

"We need to get him to the hospital. If we don't, he will die. We can't treat him here. He needs a doctor." Brett explained.

"Aren't you doctors?" the man asked.

"No, we are paramedics. Listen, we need to get him to the hospital now. If we don't, he will die." Brett said as she ordered Mackey to help her move the man's brother.

"He's not going anywhere! Help him or I'll kill you!" the man yelled.

"We can't treat him here and if you don't let us do our job, he will die. Do you understand me? Mackey, let's move him." Brett demanded.

She and Mackey got the man moved and into the ambulance with the brother following behind them.

"If you want to see your brother, he'll be at Chicago Med." Brett said as she jumped into the driver's side of the ambulance.

Brett turned the ambulance on and started to drive away but the brother began firing shots at them. Mackey was in the back with the patient.

"Brett, he's shooting at us!" Mackey yelled.

"Keep treating the patient! I'm calling a 10-1!" Brett yelled.

She called the 10-1 over the radio to the dispatcher and headed to Med. They arrived at Med with the patient.

"What do we have?" Maggie yelled.

"Overdose. We gave him Narcan but he's been unresponsive for about thirty minutes or so." Mackey said.

"We got it from here. Thanks." Maggie said as she gave orders to the nurses to move the patient to a room in the ER.

Brett and Mackey were about to leave to head back to 51 when the police showed up to take a statement. After Mackey and Brett each gave their statements to the police officers, they headed back to 51. After parking the ambulance, Casey came rushing out to find out what happened.

"Heard you guys had a 10-1. What happened? Are you guys ok?" Casey asked.

"Brett was a cool as a cucumber. She's fiesty. I'll meet you inside, yeah?" Mackey said as she walked past Brett and Casey.

"Yeah, I'll meet you in there." Brett replied.

"What happened?" Casey questioned.

"Overdose. The guy's brother pulled a gun on us and I had him keep the gun pointed at me so that Mackey wouldn't freak out on her first day on the job. I tried to keep her calm by talking the brother but once we got the patient in the ambulance, he started firing his gun at us. I called the 10-1 and the cops met us at Med and I gave them a statement. It's not the first time I've had a gun pulled on me and it won't be my last, but it was definitely scary." Brett explained.

"I'll call Burgess or Ruzek and see what they know. If this guy is out there and has a gun, he needs to be caught and taken off the streets before he actually kills someone." Casey explained.

"I know. I just...it just brings back memories of what happened with Mills and I a few years ago when we were kidnapped." Brett said.

"I remember that day very well." Casey said.

"Well, this day is very similar to that in terms of scary." Brett said.

"I'll see what they can find out and go from there." Casey said as he placed his hand on her shoulder to reassure her.

She smiled and headed inside, where Cruz was already giving Mackey the third degree about what happened and Brett couldn't help but chuckle at the way Cruz was being so overprotective.

"Hey, what's for lunch?" Brett asked as she walked into the common room.

"You should try these sandwiches. Mackey made them and they are amazing." Stella said as she devoured the sandwich.

"I'll take your word for it." Brett smiled.

Before Brett could grab a sandwich, he stopped Brett and Mackey.

"Brett. Mackey. Can you both come here for a minute?" Boden asked as he pointed to the room for their morning meetings.

"On our way, Chief." Brett said.

Brett left but as Mackey was leaving, Cruz stopped her.

"Maybe I should go with you." Cruz said.

"Joe, I am a big girl. I can handle this. I don't need you hovering over me at all times." Mackey said.

"Are you sure you'll be fine?" Cruz said.

"I'm positive." Mackey said as she headed to the room to meet Brett and Boden.

Mackey and Brett walked into the room and closed the door. Detectives Kim Burgess and Adam Ruzek from the Intelligence Unit were waiting on them. They sat down and Kim showed pictures to Brett and Mackey.

"That's him!" Brett said as she pointed to the picture.

Kim showed Mackey the same pic.

"Yeah, that's the guy that shot at us while we were in the ambo." Mackey said.

"His name is Joe Halleck. His brother, Paul Halleck, died at Chicago Med. He overdosed on meth and heroin, which was found at the scene.  
Now, his brother wasn't home when we searched the apartment, but we have our guys looking for him." Kim said.

"He's got a rap sheet the size of a book. Now, we can get a detail patrol to watch you if you want but men like him slip up, especially if they are looking to score drugs." Adam said.

"Why is he on the street?" Boden asked.

"There's a lot of different reasons and I can spend hours telling you why or we can spend hours looking for this guy. It's your call." Kim said.

"I think we should take 61 out of service. If this man is out there, there's no telling what he's capable of." Boden said.

"Chief, I mean absolutely no disrespect and I can't speak for Mackey, but I need to work. It helps take my mind off of things and we'll be careful." Brett said.

"Yeah, I'm with Brett on this. I'm good to work." Mackey said.

"Alright. Fine, but you call for backup if you both are in danger. You got that?" Boden said.

"Got it, Chief." Brett said.

"We'll be in touch with you both once we get more information." Adam said.

Brett, Boden, Casey, Severide, Brett, and Mackey said their goodbyes to Kim and Adam and went back to work. It was bound to be a day that no one at 51 would soon forget.


End file.
